Fitful Wishing
by ShadowMoonSedai
Summary: The daughters of the last heroes are taken by the Demon to a new world... and a new life(Sequel to the RW story, Inside the Forbidden)
1. Chapter 1

Fitful Wishing

Sequel to "Inside the Forbidden"

Prologue- If Only Stars Could Choose

Makaro Hashiba looked up at the stars. _One more year,_ she thought. _One more year... then it'll happen. I'll be sixteen!_

"Maka-so! Maka-so!" Her cousin ran out of the back out of the house. "Maka-so, you can't be out here. It's your birthday! Come on!"

"Seneca, give me a second to think here. It's my birthday. Let me some peace," she said. At her friend's look, she smiled. "I'll come in a minute, alright?"

_Makaro-chan, is something wrong?_ She jerked, but hid her surprise. What the-

"Okay," said Seneca, brushing her red hair over her shoulder. She went back in the house. "But you'd better hurry! Your dad already lit the candles!"

"What?! Why didn't you say something?!" Makaro turned and ran into the house, the voice forgotten. "Sene-ko, you idiot!"

"Come on, Makaro," laughed her mom, who was standing over the cake. "Make a wish." Makaro sat down at the table and looked at the flickering lights. What should she wish for? There were so many things that she wanted... She looked up and at her family. Her friends- Seneca Mori, Caia Ruen Fei, Nicca Sanada, and Lee and Alex Date- Her parents, their friends, all people she had known since the day she was born. _If I could have one wish,_ she thought, grinning. _It would be that we stay together. But nothing can tear us apart. So I wish... that just once, I can do something incredibly purposeful and dangerous without my mom finding out._* She took in a deep breath and blew out all of the candles. _One year... and I'm sixteen!_

Chapter 1 - Secrets on Fire 

_"What's wrong, Makaro-chan? Do you think that you're life is simple fun and games??" Makaro tried to run from the voice that taunted her with its sing song tone. "Makaro, Makaro, death runs in your blood. Your 'happy' little family has a 'happy' little secret. I can tell you, yes, I can. But I'd rather you die unknowing."_

_"Leave me alone!" she screamed, covering her ears. "Stop it! My family wouldn't hide anything from me!!"_

_"Of course not, Makaro-chan. They all love you, don't they? They love you soooooo much. And it makes me wonder: how much would they miss you if you say... were 'poof?'" It cackled evilly. "Poof! Poof! POOF!"_ Shouting, she bolted up. Thin early morning sunlight poured from her window and onto her bed. 

"Oh, man..." she muttered. "That made no sense. I shouldn't have had that extra piece of cake last night." She kicked the blue comforter off her legs and let her feet settle on the cold floor. Her clock flashed twelve. "The power must've died. But why didn't Dad wake me up?" Something was wrong... She walked out into the hallway. "Mom? Dad?" No answer. "Maybe... maybe they're still asleep..." _What are you?!_ yelled a voice in the back of her head. _Stupid?! Hello! Does the Dynasty ring a bell to you?!?!_ "Mom?!" she asked more urgently. "Dad?!" Still no answer. "Damn it!" There was a fervent ringing at the doorbell.

"Maka-so! Maka-so!" yelled Seneca, pounding on the door. "MAKA-SO!"

"What, Sene-chan?" asked Makaro, opening the door.

"Tell me my parents are here," said Seneca in a small voice. "Because they're not at my house."

"Mine are gone too," said Makaro. "I wonder about the othe-"

"Maka-so! Sene-chan!" Nicca and Caia ran up the street. "Are our parents here?" Makaro shook her head. 

"No. Ours are gone too. Where are Lee and Alex?" They all looked at each other.

"Asleep," they decided together. 

"Those lazy... let's go get them up," said Caia. Nicca jumped at the chance.

"Let me!" she said excitedly. "*Please*?" Makaro shook her head sadly, then nodded. "Yeah!" She ran off.

"I think you've lost it, Maka-so," said Caia. "You know what's gonna happen, right?" Makaro shrugged. 

"They're the ones that didin't-"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH! NICCA-CHAN SANADA, GET YOUR BUTT BACK HERE!"

"NICCA-SO, YOU IDIOT! I'LL KILL YOU!" There was the sound of a loud crash from the house nearest Makaro's and Nicca came flying out the front door. She ducked behind Makaro.

"I didn't know!" she said. "Lee and Alex are _supposed_ to lik-"

"NICCA-SO!" Lee came out of the front door, her blonde hair soaking wet. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Alex was right behind her, dark purple hair hanging in half frozen chunks.

"I'll kill you, Nicca-chan!" she said angrily. Seneca grabbed her arm.

"Chil- er, uh, calm down, Lex-chan, Lee-so. We've got a problem."

"Can it wait?" asked Lee coldly. "Until Nicca's six feet under the ground?"

"Yes, can it?" agreed Alex. Nicca shrunk down behind Makaro.

"You guys are supposed to like water," she said. "I thought it'd be the perfect way to wake you up."

"It was half frozen!" shouted Alex. "And stop playing innocent!"

"Guys!" said Makaro. "Chill! And I mean that literally! Our parents are gone!"

"Huh?"

"What?" Nicca chuckled.

"See what you slept through?" she asked. "You should be thank-"

"NICCA!" Makaro sighed in frustration. "We don't have time for this. We've got to figure out what's going on."

"I say it was that demon thing," said Nicca. "From my dream. The one that likes the say 'poof'."

"You saw it too?" asked Seneca. Lee yawned. 

"Yeah. That was annoying," she said. Alex leaned against her back. "Don't go to sleep, Lexi."

"Too late..."

"I know..." Caia through her arms up in the air.

"They're hopeless. So all of us had that dream?" Everyone nodded. "That's it then. It's the Dynasty."

"So we've got to get them back."

"How?! Is it possible?! The Ronin armors, the Soul Bearer armors, and the powers of the Descendents were all lost in the last battle," said Makaro. "No, we can't free them. It's hopeless. We'll have to find some other way of... doing things." Suddenly, the ground shook. "What the-"

"Holy- what is that?!" A huge robot looking thing was coming towards them. A darkness flashed through Makaro's mind. 

"Get down!" she hollered. The thing fired a missile and it hit the ground, shattering the earth. Someone screamed, someone that wasn't one of them. Fire licked the sky when Makaro's vision cleared. "Is everyone alright?!"

"Yeah! Sort of!"

"Lee?! Lee?!" Alex's frantic voice cut over the sound of more explosions. "_Lee_! No!"

***************

"She'll be fine," the nurse assured Alex. "She was hit pretty hard, but she'll be fine with some rest. You could all use some too." She straightened and disappeared back into the emergency ward. Alex sniffed, then buried her face in her hands.

"Alex," said Makaro, putting her arm around her friend's shoulders. "You heard the nurse. Lee'll be fine."

"What was that thing?" asked Nicca. "I've never seen anything like it before. Where are we anyway?"

_Makaro-chan, does it hurt? The feeling of hopelessness? She won't live, you know that._

_Who are you?!* she asked. *What do you want with us?!_

_Revenge, Makaro-chan. Pure, simple, revenge. You're _loving_ parents are the only people to ever defeat me, even if they didn't kill me. By killing all of you, I can get my ultimate revenge on them._

_Why don't you just kill us then?! Why take us one by one?!_

_Well, I have to have some enjoyment, don't I? Taking you one by one, making you suffer... what play this will be!_ Makaro shook her head free from the images that came to her and held Alex's shaking shoulders tighter. She was gonna protect her friends, no matter what. And that demon... he could just take his plan and shove it. Nothing would ever get to them while she was around.

Chapter 2- Mobile Suits, Gundams, Talents of the Past

"Look, I've been doing research," said Nicca. "That thing that attacked was a mobile suit or a mobile doll-"

"What's the difference?" asked Seneca. She tasted the sauce. "It's still missing something..."

"Mobile suits have human pilots and dolls are basically over sized robots of destruction. From what I can tell, there was a huge war. It just ended and now something's threatening to start another one."

"Shisama?" asked Caia. "Sene-ko, try adding some of that garlic and herb stuff. It might help."

"Thanks for the idea, Caia-so," said Seneca. "Okay, so they had a war and it ended. Now it might start again because of Shisama."

"Exactly," said Nicca. "The suit slash doll that attacked us was a Virgo, one of the more advanced versions. But even more then that are the Gundams."

"Gun... dam?" asked Makaro. "What's that?"

"Very highly advanced. They're pilots were war heroes and they're now being studied at a military base."

"What about the pilots?" asked Alex quietly. She was curled up in a chair, her dark hair limp and thin, like the rest of her. "Where are they?"

"They've basically dropped from the face of the planet," said Nicca. "And the space colonies too. No one's seen them since the end of the war. Shisama will go after them too."

"We can't let that happen," said Makaro. "We'll have to-" The building trembled. "Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh's right. Look!" Another Virgo was just outside the window. "Let's go!" Makaro grabbed Alex and dragged her down the stairs and out the door. The Virgo attacked the building half a second later. Amid the debris and running, she caught site of a jet flying towards them. It became a suit, but nothing like the Virgo it took down without a problem.

"The Wing Zero!" yelled Nicca. "It's a Gundam! Move, dumbass, before we get caught in the cross fire!" 

"We've got to split up!" said Makaro. "It's our only chance! I'll take Alex and we'll get Lee! Everybody else... good luck!"

"Right!" said Nicca. "Be careful!" They broke apart as the battle began. Makaro supported Alex on her right shoulder while they went towards the west. Alex was exhausted, but they still had to get Lee. 

***************

The nurse backed out of the room slowly. Poor girl. She was almost completely gone. And the child's sister and friends...

"Nurse! Nurse! We've got lots of people coming in! There was an attack on the city!" The nurse ran to the front desk.

"What?!"

"Some Virgoes attacked the city," explained the doctor. "We've got lots of wounded and dying people coming in. Clear out all unnecessary rooms, including 14D."

"But doctor-"

"Nurse, that girl's as good as dead. It would be better to end her life now then to let her suffer." She hesitated, then nodded and walked back to the room.

The curtains billowed in the night wind. Odd. The window had been closed. Lee Date's bed was empty and suddenly, a faint hope came over the nurse.

"Whoever took her," she whispered. "Please, watch her."

***************

"Alex, you've got to take Lee and get her someplace safe," said Makaro. "I'm gonna find the others."

"But Makaro... what if they're..."

"They're not. I know they're not. Have more faith in them. Now hurry! Those men are coming this way!" Alex lifted her still unconscious sister and disappeared into the night. Just as the soldiers came around the corner, Makaro leapt up into a fire escape and pressed herself against the wall. They walked by, unknowing. _I've got to find them,_ she told herself. _Before something happens._

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's not polite to stand outside people's windows?" She jerked and stepped back. There was a kid, sitting on the stairs right next to where she had been and she hadn't even seen him. 

"I- I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't know anyone was here."

"Neither did I," he said. Then he grinned. "Were you hiding from the soldiers?"

"Ye... Yeah. With this whole war about to start, the last thing I want is to be seen by them."

"Why? Are you some sort of prison breakout?" She shook her head and leaned against the brick.

"No. Just throwing caution into the mix of stupidity and death that war becomes early on. So. if I may, what are you doing up here?"

"I live here. Sort of." He looked up through the next level at the yellowish glow coming from the window. "I'm staying with a friend of mine, Hildi. You wanna come up?" Makaro nodded, considering the choices: Go with a perfect stranger, or risk the soldiers. He stood and started up the stairs. She followed. 

_Alex, be careful. Lee's not going to be helpful. And I hope you find the others._ she thought. _I'll pray for your safety, I promise. Soon as I can shake these guards, I'll find you. And we'll find a way to free our parents._

"Hey, Hildi, this is..." He looked at her.

"Makaro," she said. "Makaro Hashiba."

"Makaro," said Duo. The girl rolled her eyes and shook her head. 

"I caught that, Duo," she said. "Hello. I'm Hildi." Makaro shook her hand and smiled. "So, Duo, what's up with bringing a random person into our apartment?"

"She was hiding from the soldiers on the fire escape," said Duo. "I thought she'd like it up here better." Hildi nodded grimly.

"There's another war coming," she said. "And we're still not recovered from the last one."

"This is all my fault..." muttered Makaro. "It wouldn't be starting if I hadn't made that damned... sorry. I know I'm going on. I'm just worried about my other friends."

"The two girls with you?" asked Duo. Makaro nodded.

"Those were Alex and Lee. Lee was injured when a mobile suit attacked a suburb. She hasn't woken up, but we weren't gonna leave her. There's still three others."

"You know how fate can act," said Hildi. "They'll all meet up and you'll be the last one to know." Makaro smiled, her first time in days.

"Yeah. That's how it usually goes," she said. "I'm always the last one to know."

"Join the club," said Duo. There was a beeping sound from out of the room. Hildi and Duo exchanged a glance, then he walked off, leaving Hildi and Makaro.

"Do you want something to drink?" asked Hildi. Makaro nodded and followed her into the kitchen. "So you're not from around here?"

"Not even close," said Makaro. "My friends and I come from a ways away. There was an attack and Lee was badly injured. We rented an apartment near the hospital, but there was another assault and we had to separate."

"That doesn't make sense," said Hildi. "Why did you separate? You should've stayed together. People don't work well alone." Makaro took a drink of the tea and leaned against the back of the chair.

"In truth, we're being chased and it's not total coincidence that innocent lives are being killed. That's why I'm trying to find my friends, because you're right- People are stronger as one, but when the whole is being hunted, it can make them weak."

"You sound like a guy I knew, Wufei," said Hildi. "He was a lot like that. Probably still is." 

"I've got to go," said Duo, coming back in. "There's someone working the missions again. I'm going to meet the others."

"Be careful," said Hildi. "Don't get killed. Something doesn't feel right." He nodded as he grabbed his jacket.

"I know," he said, walking out of the room. "I sense it too." For the first time, Makaro realized the full extent of what was going on: Shisama was after another world, one more advanced, one stronger, and one less likely to fight back if it didn't know. He would win, if she didn't do something. But what...

"Makaro," said Hildi. She turned around, but the other girl was gone. There was a silver and gold twisted star earring on the table and somehow, Makaro had managed a note on a napkin: Thanx for the tea. I'll watch him, don't worry. I feel it too. The window was open and a cold breeze blew in. Hildi walked over and leaned out, listening into the night. There was the sound of a car and a scarping of metal as the fire escape ladder was pushed back up. "You're nuts. Believe me. I know."

************

"Watch your step, miss." Nicca pulled the cap low over her eyes and watched the girl walk up the steps into the plane. Damn, this chic was hard to track. Almost constant security up the ass, twenty four seven. But now, they didn't know who she was. And people never suspect the maintenance person. 

"Hey, what are you doing?" Nicca froze. "Didn't you hear that the stewardess is sick? Get in the uniform!"

"Excuse me?" she asked, turning around.

"You're filling in today. Go!"

"Damn it," she swore. "I'm not trained to be a damn stewardess."

"Well, you are now. Hurry. You can't keep Miss Relina waiting."

"Damn it." But she knew she had no say in the matter, so she climbed the stairs to the plane.

"Wait a minute!" yelled the guy. "You don't have your uniform!" Too late. The plane was already taking off. "Damn it!" He ripped his hat off and threw it on the ground. Relina looked out the window and saw him throwing a fit. She sat up straighter and looked around. From the back shadows emerged a girl with long black hair that rested on her shoulders in waves. 

"Who are you?" she asked. The girl smiled gently.

"I'm not here to hurt you," she said. "I'm here looking for information you have."

"Who. Are. You?"

"Nicca Sanada. I give you my word. I won't hurt you. But I need to know where the Gundam pilots are. And you're going to meet them."

"How... how did you know that?"

"Miss Relina, if I can find even one, then I can stop this war. They're gonna be killed. I can't explain much more then that." Relina stood up.

"Please, sit down," she said. "And tell me what's going on. Why are they in danger? And from who?" Nicca sat down in a chair across from Relina and closed her eyes.

"I just need to know where one of them is," she said. "And then I can hopefully keep Shisama away... Miss Relina, this is going to sound weird, but this war is not the fault of humans."

"Then who is it the fault of?" asked Relina, sitting down again. 

"A demon by the name of Shisama. He's kidnapped my parents and killed the soul of my best friend. Her body lives, but it's empty and I don't know about my other friends. We've all been separated."

"By the demon?" Nicca nodded. 

"By the demon. I don't know where they are." Relina sat back thoughtfully. 

"I know what it's like to not know where your friends are," she said slowly. "But I can't guarantee that the Gundam pilots will believe you." Nicca lifted her head.

"I don't care if they believe me," she said. "Only if they live."

Chapter 3- Seneca's Undoing

"So you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Maka-so..."

"Sene-chan, what's up?"

"I've enrolled in a local military school. With the war coming, I'm gonna need all the training I can get. But it's just so different here."

"Stick with it, Seneca. If you've started something, you can't give up. Even if it gets tough. Remember that, okay?"

"I hear you loud and clear, Makaro. Take care of yourself. I have a feeling we're walking into something bigger then even what are parents dealt with."

"Shisama's out for revenge. Of course it's bigger. Call me soon, Sene. I mean it."

"Don't worry, I will. Bye, Maka-chan." Seneca froze, trying to remember how to turn it off, then did and turned it off. "Damn technology. I'll never get used to it." She stood up and walked around the chair so the next person could use the phone. 

"Did you get through to your friend?" Seneca nodded to Nick, the young aspiring pilot she had met even before school. "What'd she say?"

"That I've gotta stick with this," she told him, flipping her black hair over her shoulder. "Did I miss anything in class?"

"Not really. New kid, but not much else."

"New kid?"

"Yeah. His name is Heero something. He's over there." Seneca looked where he was pointing. A kid with dark brown hair was leaning against the wall, looking incredibly on his own. He lifted his head and steely blue eyes met with hers. 

"Whoa," she muttered, a cold feeling washing over her. "He's intense."

"Yeah. Should've seen him earlier. You wanna go to the training simulator?" Seneca shrugged.

"Alright. And this time, you're going down."

"You wish, Tiger Lily. You'll never beat me."

"Watch me." They both grabbed helmets and walked into the simulator. "So where are we going today?"

"You wanna try space?" asked Nick as they say down. She shook her head.

"I don't think I'm ready yet. Let's go to Siberia, since this is just for fun. I like it there."

"You and the snow..."

"Wait until you meet Alex and Lee. They're weirder then I am when it comes to snow." She raked her fingers through her hair and pulled the helmet on. "Seneca Mori, issuing level four training exercises in Siberia scenario for students zero-zero-two and zero-one-three. Ready, Nick?"

"You talk too much, Seneca-chan," he said. "Yeah. All set." 

"Starting... now!" Several kids gathered outside the training room. It was always interesting to watch Seneca and Nick. Neither gave up until the very end, no matter what the outcome. Among them today was Heero. He hadn't been training in the three months since the end of the war, but enrolling in a military school was a good way to catch up. 

A screen lit up next to the window. Nick had chosen the Vay 8 for his suit and Seneca a Taurus. She dodged one of his attacks with amazing ability and fired her beam cannon. It was too slow. 

"Damn!" came a voice over the speakers. 

"Is she nuts?" asked one of the students. "She'll never win in a Taurus. Not against the Vay 8."

"She's gotten through worse," said another. Heero watched her with a new interest. If she gave up on the beam cannon and switched to the sabre, she could win. If she was fast enough to get through the Vay 8's shields.

"Come on, Sene-ko. You're holding back!" said Nick. "I know you're better then this. Stop thinking so hard!" Seneca stopped and dislodged the cannon. It fell in the snow and landed, causing a cloud. The cloud gave her an extra two seconds to get her sabre and attack. The Vay 8's shields activated, but she was too fast and sliced through them, then through his suit. The simulation ended right then, without an explosion. Seneca ripped off the helmet and tossed it at him.

"You're not supposed to help me!" she said, angrily walking out of the room.

"Seneca, wait!" said Nick. He went after her, but Heero stopped him. "What the-"

"She had it on her own," he said. "You didn't need to help her." Nick glared at him.

"Fuck off, Yuy. Mind your own business." Nick walked around him and chased after Seneca. He caught up to her just outside the building. "Seneca-san, I'm sorry if I made you mad."

"How the hell am I supposed to be a good pilot if I don't learn on my own?" she asked. He put his arm on her shoulder and she lifted her eyes to him.

"A good pilot knows when to accept help," he said softly. "We're all still learning, Sene-chan. It's not just you. We've got to work together to stop this war from killing everything."

"Did... did I overreact?" He chuckled.

"Not anymore then me. I was so worried about you, I actually told Heero to fuck off. He was trying to stop me from coming after you."

"Maybe you should've listened." There was a click and he felt cold metal pressed into his side. "Because I'm not Seneca."

"Where is she?"

"Somewhere. Not here."

"But I _am_ here, daemon." Nick turned his head and saw a girl with blue eyes and red hair standing with a gun leveled at the other girl. "I knew it seemed weird that I was supposed to start school over two months later then everyone else. Who sent you? Shisama?"

"Lord Shisama didn't send me. I came here to help his plan. And you should be dead."

"What? Oh, you mean that little toy you left in my hotel room? Sorry, hon, but I've seen better disguised cross dressers." She threw a thick black book on the ground. There was a distinct beeping sound. "Oops. I restarted the countdown. When was it stopped? Thirty? Guess it's twenty now."

"You fool! You'll kill us all!" said the daemon. Seneca grinned coolly.

"Does it look like I care?" she said. "Your 'Lord Shisama' kidnapped my family. I'm gonna get my revenge. Let him go and I'll let you stop it."

"No. _You_ stop it. Or he gets his head blown off." Seneca's cool faltered. She hadn't expected Nick to be there. He _wasn't_ supposed to be there. She stuck the gun in her back pocket and knelt carefully on the ground. She slowly opened the book and- "No!!" screamed the daemon, seeing only a plain alarm clock, like those in hotels. She shoved Nick down and fired at Seneca. The bullet hit home in Sene's side, but she didn't notice. When the smoke from her gun cleared, the daemon was lying dead. Seneca dropped the empty gun and turned around. Heero lowered his gun.

"Daemon's don't exist," he said coolly. "But corrupted people do. And those who need to die."

"You'd be surprised what exists," muttered Seneca. "I've seen some weird ass stuff that can't be explained. But you're welcome to try."

"I don't try to explain things _I_ haven't seen." Seneca rolled her eyes and walked over to Nick. He groaned and opened his eyes.

"What... Sene-ko? What's going on? My head hurts..."

"Shh..." she said. "You just hit your head. Did you get hit with the bullet?"

"No. Seneca, what's going on? Who was that?"

"A... girl named Daemon." She shot a look at Heero, who was still standing there. "She's been playing me, trying to get in at the school and at something it has, but I don't know what. But she's dead now. I can't believe you bought her trash."

"She slash you said that you got your hair dyed. I wasn't going to ask."

"You should've. Come on. Let's get you inside. Your head's bleeding." She helped him up and he leaned on her shoulder. Heero watched her face for any signs of pain, but she showed little to none. "I could kill that... that... I'm gonna kill Shisama when I get my hands on him." 

"What happened?!" asked the nurse in the infirmary.

"We were caught in the middle of a fight with some random punks," lied Seneca. "He got slammed. I don't think there's any problem, other then a gash."

"You let the worrying be done by me." The woman led Nick over to the table. "Were you hurt?"

"No," said Seneca. "I wasn't. Just him."

"Still. Go back to your room and rest. I'll sent your teacher a note that you won't be in classes the rest of the day."

"Yes'm." _It's not like I was in a class anyway._ Seneca walked out of the door into the hallway. The few people that had gathered to see what was up wandered off to get to class. Only Heero stayed. She started towards him, to thank him for what he had done, when the ground suddenly seemed very inviting. Her legs collapsed underneath her and she fell to her hands. 

"You were hit," said Heero, kneeling by her. The hall started to swirl.

"Please... not the nurse... parents... don't... exist..." The rest of her fell into darkness. 

Chapter 4- What's Behind the Masking Call

"Has anyone figured out who sent us here?" asked Duo, leaning back in his chair. No one answered. "Man, the last thing we need is another war."

"What could have started it?" wondered Trowa. He leaned against the wall thoughtfully. "There's something missing."

"I met some girl the other night," said Duo. At his friend's looks, he sighed. "Not like that. She was hiding on the fire escape from some soldiers. But she seems to think that the war is her fault."

"Did you think to put two and two together?" asked Heero. "Maybe the soldiers were chasing her for a reason."

"Like what?" countered Duo. "She didn't even seem like someone they would chase."

"Do we?" asked Wufei. "That was the whole reason we were chosen to be Gundam pilots. Because we seemed so innocent."

"Seemed," said Quatre softly. "Maybe... no, that doesn't fit. How could there be new Gundam pilots? We're still alive, aren't we?" Suddenly, there was a creak on the roof above them. It gave way and they all jumped back. When it cleared, there was a girl laying dazed on a pile of rubble. She groaned and pushed herself up, only to be met with the click of a gun.

"Who are you?" asked Heero coldly. She rose slowly and Duo recognized her.

"It's you!" he said. "Margo or Marako-"

"Makaro," she snapped. "My name's Makaro."

"What are you doing here?" said Trowa. She looked at Heero, matching his coldness bit for bit. But where his was normal, hers was angry. It shone in her eyes like green fire. 

"I was only following him," she said, wiping blood from her lip with her sleeve on one hand and indicating Duo with the other. She glared at the streak angrily. "He's not that hard to track, but I didn't think the roof was that weak."

"First of all, _how_ could you follow me and secondly... why?" asked Duo. She lifted her eyes to him.

"For Hildi," she said. "Because she was worried about you and I wanted to make sure you didn't die."

"You're nuts-"

"How did you follow him?" asked Heero. He still had the gun leveled with her chest. 

"Like I said, it was easy. He leaves a trail a mile wide, if you know where to look." She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the gun. "Will you put that thing away? Before it goes off and you kill someone?" He pulled the safety back.

"I might kill someone," he said. She only rolled her eyes.

"You men are all alike. Thinking with your brawn instead of your brains." There was a knock at the door. Makaro took the distraction and whirled around, grabbing the gun. Now the tables had turned, to everyone's astonishment. "Well? Open the door." Trowa opened the door and Relina came in, followed closely by another girl with long black hair. Makaro's mouth dropped. "Nicca-so?"

"Maka-chan, only you would manage this," said Nicca, rolling her eyes. "Relina, meet Makaro. One of my friends I was searching for." Makaro loosened her hold on the gun, but not before slipping it into her back pocket. 

"Nicca, I won't ask how the hell you managed this, but it's great to see you. Have you found anyone else?" Nicca shook her head and Makaro collapsed against the wall with a sigh. "Damn. I was hoping..."

"Makaro, we need to talk. Now." Nicca grabbed her friend's arm and yanked her out of the room, shutting the door behind her. "They're the Gundam pilots."

"Them?" Makaro laughed. "I can understand the others, but Duo..."

"He is too," said Nicca grimly. "They all are. And they're Shisama's targets. So..."

"Like hell," said Makaro angrily. "He's not gonna get them. Not while I live." The way she said... Nicca knew her friend was confident in her path. 

*"I wonder how long you'll last in this harsh world."* Both girls stood their ground and didn't falter. A large, imposing man appeared before them. "Do you like this form? My powers may be limited, but I don't need mystical powers to eliminate you and those boys. That girl too, since she has to mettle so severely."

"You won't," said Makaro. "Not while I'm here." He pulled a small device from his chest pocket and held it tightly in his fist. 

"You underestimate me, child. You won't be around for long to stop me." He pressed a button on the top. More darkness flashed across Makaro's mind. She grabbed Nicca and pulled her to the ground, at the same time, something inside of her exploded in anger at Shisama. Light hit her with rock and plaster. She floated through darkness for the longest time, wishing with every part of that was still living for the pilots and Nicca and Miss Relina to make it. They just had to...

***************

Duo coughed and pushed aside some rock on his head _off_ his head. He sat up.

"Heero?" he asked. "Quatre? Trowa? Wufei? Relina? Are you guys alright?"

"Yeah," came Trowa's voice. "I think we're all okay." Duo stood up and limped over the rocks into the hallway. Or what was left of it. Dusk and smoke still hung in the air and the two girls were nowhere to be seen. 

"What a waste of good explosives," said Wufei. He pushed himself up, scattering rock and debris. "What happened to the other two?" Duo grabbed a piece of rock and pulled it aside. A hand was right underneath it. A few feet away, Makaro struggled to wake up, but failed and sank further. 

"I found Nicca!" said Duo. He dug the rock away from her and lifted her carefully onto flatter ground. She groaned, swore, and opened her eyes.

"Damn that fucking lousy excuse for a son of a bitch," she said, rubbing the back of her head. "I'll kill him and string his body up by his toes to a damned shipmast."

"Who?" asked Duo. 

"Shisama. Wait a minute, where's Makaro?" She pulled from Duo's arms and dug through a pile of rock. She found Makaro alright, her head gashed by a rock and her blood covering the floor and debris around her. "Damn it! Makaro! Don't leave me, kid!" 

"Nicca, calm down," said Relina. "She'll live." She tore a strip from her skirt and held it to Makaro's head. "She just needs rest and a hospital."

"No. No hospital," said Nicca. "We tried the hospital. They couldn't do a damn thing for Lee. They'll be able to do less for Makaro. There's got to be another way."

"I can take her," said Trowa. "It's been quiet at the circus. She'll be able to rest there." 

"I should go with her," said Nicca. "I can't..." She paused and looked around at the destruction that surrounded them. They were alive... all except Makaro. Somehow, she had been the only one injured badly enough to make her bleed. Everyone else had minor scraps and bruises, a couple of burns from being too near the blast powder. "Damn... I want to, but..." 

"She'll be fine with Trowa," said Duo reassuringly. Nicca realized that almost everyone was gone. A medical team had arrived, treated Makaro, then been knocked unconscious. They were still out and Trowa had taken Makaro with him. "Come on. Before they wake up."

Chapter 5- In the Night of Death

Caia looked up at the sky and pressed her hand to her temple. Damn headaches. It wasn't bad enough every part of her had to hurt like hell. Now she was getting a migraine. So she lowered her gaze back to the ground and looked around. Where was he? 

"Caia." She turned around and forced a smile, despite the dizziness threatening to take over her. 

"There you are," she said. "I was wondering when you'd show up. Come on." She sat down in a chair at the outdoor table and rested her chin on her hands. "What did you find out?" He sat down across from her and the waitress brought out some drinks. Caia simply moved hers to the side. 

"One of the girls you're looking for is at a military school with Heero. The other... sort of dropped in on us." She groaned.

"Let me guess: Makaro." He nodded.

"Another came in with Relina. But that's all I know."

"Where'd they go?"

"Makaro went back with Trowa for no apparent reason and Nicca left in the middle of the meeting and didn't come back." Caia folded her arms on the table and laid her head down. "Caia?"

"I don't feel so well," she muttered. She heard the scraping of metal against cement as darkness swirled and closed in.

When she opened her eyes who knows how much later, she was in a bed with the moonlight streaming onto the floor. She started to sit up, but someone grabbed her shoulders and gently laid her back down.

"You have a fever," said a familiar voice. "Get some sleep." Caia closed her eyes and smiled gently.

"Thank you... Wufei-chan."

***************

"Master Quatre, welcome back," said Rasid. Quatre forced a smile and nodded. "But there is something I must show you. While you were gone, we discovered two girls wandering in the desert."

"What?!" asked Quatre in astonishment. 

"One of them is awake but the other... her body isn't that injured, but there's still something wrong with her," he explained. As if on cue, a girl with dark purple hair and brown eyes came around the bend.

"Master Rasid," she said, giving a quick curtsey. "Good morning. I'm looking for Ahmed. He seems to find it funny my watch has disappeared." Her eyes locked with Quatre's and she smiled warmly. "I don't believe we've met. My name is Alexi Date, but most people call me Alex. Most." The last part was directed at Rasid with a small grin.

"Quatre Raberba Winner," said Quatre. "I think I saw Ahmad on my way in." Her smile grew bigger and she grabbed her skirt in one hand.

"Thank you, Master Quatre," she said. "I'll get him for this." She disappeared down the hallway. Quatre looked at Rasid, slightly confused. 

"They're playing... practical jokes?" he asked. "That doesn't sound like them."

"Mistress Alexi has changed a lot around here since she woke up. She's quite energetic and stubborn. Would you like to see the other girl?" Quatre nodded and followed. A few doors away, laying very still, was a girl that looked nothing like Alexi. She had short blonde hair that fell in her face and a pained look. "Mistress Alexi told us they were involved in a bombing on a division of houses. Miss Lee hasn't woken up since then, but it's not her injuries keeping her down. It's almost as if a part of her spirit is missing."

"She'll wake up," said Quatre. "For her sister's sake, she will." There was laughter from outside. Quatre walked to the window and saw Alexi, in the yard, trying to retrieve her watch from Ahmad. But she was laughing too. 

"She has made them stop worrying about the past," said Rasid. "She was sent here for a reason, but it was not to make the men happy." Quatre nodded as Alexi finally got her watch back. She shook it in Ahmad's face half-angrily, then stopped and put it back on her wrist. 

"Stop taking this thing!" she said firmly, turning her back on them.

"Come on, Miss Alex. Don't be mad." She turned back and smiled.

"You know I can't stay mad at you guys," she said. Quatre couldn't help but smile. No wonder everyone liked her so much. She was beautiful, charming, and had a great smile on top of that. Not to mention her whole attitude was enough to make anyone smile. Suddenly, Alex turned around again. She saw Quatre up in the window and waved. The others saw him now too.

"Hey! Master Quatre!" said Auda. 

"Master Quatre, we should talk to the men about what you learned at your meeting with the other pilots." Quatre straightened and nodded, looking back at Lee.

_This is what war does to people,_ he thought. _I won't let another war get out of hand._

Alex stayed outside while the others went in to meet with Master Quatre. He was... amazing. There was something about him. He was hiding the worst of his feelings, like they had all been. She owed the Maguanac Corps her life and the life of her sister, if she ever woke up. She owed Quatre nothing. But at the same time... she was going to help him. 

_If what my dreams tell me is true, then not only does their balance matter, but so does his. I won't fail them._ She gathered her skirts in one hand and looked at her watch. _I don't know why getting this back was so important. It doesn't even work anymore._

"Miss Alex, don't wander far," said Ahmed. He was still outside. She nodded.

"I won't. I promise." He turned and went inside. After a moments thought, she decided to go to the gardens and meditate. It would help her pass the time, because she doubted their meeting was going to be short.

The flowers were all in bloom, giving a rainbow of colors to walk through. She paused near a rose bush and picked a dead bloom, carefully to avoid the sharp thorns. It had once been yellow, but was now a light brown. Still, her finger caught on a briar and she switched the flower to her other hand to look at the blood on her finger. 

_A rose is a thing of beauty,_ she thought, walking over to a spot near the fountain and sitting down. The blood spread out and disappeared in the cool water as Alex carefully arranged her skirts around her with the other hand. _And a thorn can always ruin the effect. But without the thorn, the rose would have no protection from animals that would eat it. One cannot live without the other, just like humans cannot live without some form of destruction in the world around them._Her thoughts floated along. She tried to focus on one thing. Her sister, her friends, but everything kept going back to Quatre. So she focused on him instead, all the while going through the things she had been taught to keep her void strong around her. A flower bud, a rose, opening slowly. The red flame didn't match the yellow petals around it. _Like war doesn't match the people in it._ Suddenly, something blocked the sunlight that had been warming her face. The flame grew cold and died, along with the void. Alex opened her eyes and looked down at the flower still in her hand. It was still dead. _Damn. I'll never be as good as you, Dad._

"It's time for dinner." She looked up and saw Quatre standing over her. Despite herself, she scrambled to her feet quickly.

"I hadn't realized it was so late," she said, seeing the sun disappearing over the top of the house. "I'm sorry, Master Quatre. Did your meeting go well?" Her hand tightened on the rose stem in the silence that followed. The thorn dug into her skin, so she let it go quickly with a wince of pain. Quatre caught it and handed it back to her. She reached for it and her fingers brushed his. An entirely new feeling rushed into her body. It was only when the shadows of the house reached them did Quatre snap out of his own trance. A blush grew in both their cheeks. He turned away quickly and started towards the door.

"It went very well," he answered. Alex stood by herself, clutching the rose. What in the name of heaven had that been? There was warmth in her now, a new energy she had never felt. Smiling, she glanced back down at the rose. There were no brown petals now. Instead, a small bud, still green.

_So there is more to you then meets the eye,_ she thought, slipping the bud into her pocket. _And there's a reason for my existence here. We'll find it together, Master Quatre. And we'll defeat Shisama._

_Together..._

The End.


	2. Chapter 2

Fitful Wishing pt 2: Awakening

Sequel to "Inside the Forbidden"

Prologue- Makaro Returns

Trowa opened the door to the trailer and walked inside. Makaro was laying on the couch, more asleep then unconscious. Her head hadn't caused any problems, but that might change when she _actually_ woke up. 

A smell wafted through the entire place. It smelled like... beef stroganoff. Sure enough, on the stove, was a frying pan, set on low, and a colander of noodles was in the sink. It was all still warm.

Makaro opened her eyes and sat up carefully. It had been interesting waking up from endless nightmares in the middle of nowhere and the bandage around her head had been particularly binding, so she took it off and folded it neatly on the window sill. Then she fell asleep again, after making dinner. It was a small thanks to whoever had been caring for her. 

Trowa whirled around at the sound of a small laugh behind him.

"I'll clean up," she said. "I didn't mean to make a mess. It's just been awhile since I cooked anything." 

"When did you wake up?" he asked. She shrugged and looked at her watch, then remembered it hadn't worked since she had woken up to find her alarm clock broken that first day. 

"I'm guessing about an hour ago, depending on how long I've been asleep. I sorta fell asleep again after I finished dinner." She looked around. "Even if I don't remember going down..."

"Does your head still hurt?" He opened a cupboard and pulled down a couple of plates. She shook her head and winced.

"Only if I do that," she said. "So I won't anymore. No problem. And exactly how long have I been out?"

"It's been two weeks since the bombing. Nicca went with Duo after that and somehow, all of your friends managed to find the others too. Alex and Lee are with Quatre, Caia's with Wufei and Seneca's with Heero."

"Only Alex isn't hurt," she muttered. "Caia's got a fever, Seneca was shot and Lee... Lee has no spirit to keep her in this world. I'll kill him. I'll kill him and free my family."

"How did you know about Seneca?" he wondered, sitting down across from her. He handed her a plate, but she only picked at her food. "And Caia?"

"I saw them," she whispered. "Suffering. Suffering because of that damned... do you know where Shisama is?"

"Shisama is a General Commander of a group called the Jackals. They're raising hell in between the earth and the colonies. Again."

"I'm sorry," she said earnestly. "The last one must've been bad enough, but to have another one with the same... no, scratch that. The stakes are different. We'll help you. I know we won't be able to do much, but we'll help in anyway we can. I've got a vendetta with Shisama and it's gonna get settled."

"Personal vendettas are what makes a war more deadly then before, especially if those involved could end it with one word," said Trowa softly. Makaro stabbed a piece of beef and let her fork rest there.

"My mom... had a vendetta with Shisama towards the end of their war. He killed her parents, my 'Aunt' Houta's mom, and fourteen innocent human beings. But it was made to look like an accident."

"He's that good?" She lifted her head and gave him a confused look, then smiled gently.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "He's that good."

Chapter 1- What Limits a Dream

Wufei opened his eyes and glanced at the sunlight streaming through the window. It was morning already. He carefully took the cloth from Caia's head and frowned. It was warm again. Her fever wasn't getting worse, but it wasn't getting better either. 

"Wufei-chan...," she murmured. "How did your meeting go? Did you find... all of your friends..."

"Yeah," he said, "I found them. Get some rest."

"If I sleep... I see my family... They think you're sweet... to do... this... Like... I do..." He dropped the cloth back into the water and rang it out. She wasn't as warm now. 

_Maybe it's finally broken,_ he thought. _But I'm not leaving you, Caia. There's something wrong and you're too weak to take care of yourself._ He turned and walked out into the living room. Everything was so confusing. Why was he still here, taking care of her? He didn't want her to die, that was the last thing on his mind, but why did he care so much? He laid on the couch and stared at the ceiling, trying to sort out what the hell was going on.

"Wufei." He looked up and saw Caia standing in the doorway. Her hair was loose on her shoulders, but her eyes were bright. "So. You stayed."

"You should be in bed," he said coolly. "Until your well." She threw her head back and laughed.

"I'm fine," she said. "The fever's gone. Completely. And I feel fine. Thanks to you." She walked into the room and sat on the table across from him. He sat up and leaned against the back of the couch. "Wufei, I don't get you. The first time I met you... you didn't want to have anything to do with me. But now you go and pull something like this. Why?"

"I don't know," he said, shaking his head. "But I wasn't going to leave you like that." He cast a glance over her shoulder back into the bedroom. There was something still lying on the bed. It shifted and he recognized Caia's muttering. The Caia in front of him swore. 

"You shouldn't have done that," she said. "It would've worked." She pinned him against the couch with amazing strength. He couldn't move, no matter how he tried. 

"What are you?" he asked angrily. "How do you look like Caia?" 

"She looks like Caia because she is Caia. In a way," said a voice. The door was kicked in, revealing a large man with a gun. "Chang Wufei, you are not a smart as you think. It was too easy to manipulate you. Get the girl," he said. The other girl released her death hold on Wufei and trotted off to the bedroom. Wufei jerked, but the gun clicked. "Move, and you both die. Cooperate, and you'll live. You wouldn't want her to die, now would you?"

"What do you want?" asked Wufei. The girl came out, carrying Caia over her shoulder. She looked at the man with an eagerness that could only resemble a dog. 

"What do you wish me to do with her, Lord Shisama? May I dispose of her?" Shisama... the leader of the Jackals? What did he want with them? 

"No, Macei, she will have to live. These children are more cunning then I had anticipated. Take her back to the base and make sure she lives. You can be easily replaced, remember-" Wufei kicked the guy's gun free and caught it. He fired at the girl holding Caia and just missed actually hitting Caia herself. Both of them crumbled and he turned on Shisama, but somehow, he was gone. One of the Caias moaned softly and sat up. There was blood on her shirt, but it wasn't hers.

"Wufei-chan?" she asked. "What the hell is going on?"

***************

Alex stood on the cliff's edge over the river and watched the waterfall splash down. It was such a beautiful thing... why wouldn't Lee wake up? It had been almost two months since the attack. And she wasn't getting better. She was becoming more and more pale. But still, right now, she was alive, and safe, back at Master Quatre's estate. 

"Mistress Alex." She turned around and smiled warmly at Quatre. "You're worried about Lee."

"There's no reason that she should still be out," said Alex, turning back to the water and the sunrise. "Master Quatre, there is nothing that should be keeping her away from helping in this war. But it's not that that's scaring me. If something can still be affecting her here, what might happen to you and the Maganac soldiers if it spreads?" Quatre joined her, but kept his eyes forward.

"We owe you a lot, Mistress Alex. You've helped all of them with the feelings left over from the war. You didn't have to come."

"Master Quatre, in all due respect... stop calling me Mistress Alex. I don't like it. I haven't done anything of worth for you, despite what you just said. I helped them. I haven't helped _you_. Please, call me anything but 'Mistress Alex'."

"If you insist, Miss Alex." She sighed.

"Close enough," she said. The first rays of the sun made it over the mountain ridge and Alex turned to go back to the camp. "I had better start breakfast. See you back there, Master Quatre." She started down the path and disappeared into the forest. A few minutes later, Quatre took the longer way through the trees to the camp. 

"Where's Alex?" he asked. Ahmad shrugged.

"We thought she was with you, master," he said. Quatre shook his head.

"She was on her way back almost ten minutes ago," he explained. "She should've been here before me."

***************

Alex picked up her jacket and walked into the forest. _Quatre,_ she thought. _You're cute, sweet, and absolutely wonderful. Don't ever lose that. It's what makes you a great soldier._ The trees closed in around her. Something didn't seem right. Why was everything so quiet? There were no birds, no crickets, none of the sounds that made a group of trees a forest.

_"Time to die, Alexi Date. Join your sister."_ The ground beneath her gave way and before she could utter a sound, there was a flash of light. Blackness invaded her mind...

Drip. Drip. Drip. Alex opened her eyes and sat up. Instantly, water started dripping on her head. She yelled out Nicca's name, but this time, the fault was not of her friend. Who knew where Nicca was? Who knew where she was?

_Alexian... If you could have one wish... what would it be...?_ Alex looked around. _No one_ knew her full name, except her parents. Even the other girls called her Alexi when they used her full name. _Shisama gains more and more human power. He doesn't need his old strength. He has many many underlings that do his killing for him. But he has certain people he wants to kill personally. Do you know who they are, Alexian?_

"He wants to kill the guys," said Alex, standing up. Light was filtering in from somewhere. But where? And could she use the hole to get out? "And my friends and I want to protect them." There was a laugh. It wasn't evil or harsh like Shisama's. Instead, it was almost familiar.

_It's not them he's after. Ask Makaro. She knows his real targets. But that is not the reason for this. I saved you for a reason. There is a battle raging now, and unless you help, no one will survive. Not Rasid, not the Maganacs, not Quatre Raberba Winner. This war will kill them all, unless you girls help._ There was a flash of light. Alex shielded her eyes and when her vision cleared, there was a mobile suit before her. It was blue, with green wings and a staff. _This is the IceShadow. It is not a Gundam, only modeled after one. It will be the deciding factor in the battle. Hurry, Alexian. Time passes those who wait._ Something rocked the world above. Alex stumbled on the ground, but made her way over the rock to the suit. Quatre wouldn't die. He couldn't leave her. Not now. 

The half opened rose bud fell from her pocket. Despite lack of water, it was still growing. It landed on the floor and she bent over to pick it up. Another tremor rocked the cave and her head slammed into the computerboard. There was a chuckle.

"Damn it!" she swore. "I'll get the hang of this, I promise, mother. I won't let them down." She sat up, the rose resting on her lap. "Let's get a move on and kick some Jackal ass!" 

Quatre sliced through the mobile dolls. God, he hoped Alex wasn't anywhere near this. They had already destroyed half the forest with the battle. 

"Master Quatre, there is a large fleet of more Virgo dolls coming this way!" said Rasid. "We won't be able to stand against them!" Quatre hesitated. They couldn't leave Alex behind, everyone knew that, but if they stayed, they'd die. Either way, she'd be in trouble.

Suddenly, the ground exploded. Another mobile suit had joined them when the fleet came. The tip of its staff lit with blue fire and resembled a yari, but it didn't attack them. It was the first to attack the Virgoes.

"Is that a..." Ahmad trailed off uncertainly. "It looks like a Gundam, Master Quatre. Sort of."

"That's not a Gundam, only a copy," said a cold voice. The new suit stopped, but the tension grew on the battle field. The Tall Geese joined the remaining Virgo dolls. "Modeled after the Gundams and those damned Soul armors. But it has an incompetent pilot who will be of more use to me then to you. So you might as well give-"

"No," said Quatre. "He helped us. We won't let you take him." In her suit, listening to the conversation, Alex had to laugh. Fine. If the game was set, it was set. She would remain a he and a help only to Quatre and Maganac.She opened a link only to Shisama.

"You're plan won't work," she said. "Somewhere in his heart, he knows I can't die, even if he's confused as to who I am. So. Shall I see you in hell then?"

"In hell and beyond," said Shisama with a cold laugh. "I don't know how you managed such a magnificent suit, but it won't help you. You don't have a clue how to work that beautiful piece of art." She stabbed the yari into one suit and then sliced through three more without much effort. The only problem: her body wasn't used to the strain. That single act left her breathless. "Is there a problem, Mistress Alexi?"

"Bite me!" She lunged for him and all hell broke loose. But it was ill fated. For Shisama. Alex's suit was amazing. It was as strong as Quatre's Gundam, but she knew he would always be stronger. "Die, demon!"

"Until another time, child." He fired his beam cannon at the ground. Alex stepped back and looked around. It was her time to leave too. But something slammed into her from behind.

"Damn!" she swore. When the dust cleared, she was still there. And Quatre and the Maganacs blocked her way. "Lousy son of a-" The front of the SandRock opened and Quatre stepped out.

"Who are you?" he asked. Alex had no choice. She opened the front of her suit, but didn't move. 

"I am a Soul Wing," she said in a soft voice. The shadows of the setting sun hid her face. Carefully, she lifted the rose that had remained in her lap during the battle and tossed it to him. "Keep it in luck. You'll need it." She closed her suit up and hit the rockets. But she didn't go far, only made it look like she did. She couldn't leave them. Not now.

When she stumbled from her suit to the ground, her body argued with her. It wanted to rest, to stay right where it had landed, but she had to get back to Quatre.

_Rest, child. You have earned it. Don't worry. Your secret will be safe. Your suit will go on its own. When you need it, you will be able to call it. There is a device implanted in this headband. It will send an electronic signal to your suit, bringing it to your location. Sleep, Alexian, sleep. They will find you soon enough._ Despite everything her mind told the rest of her, she sank into a deep sleep, full of dreams. Caia... dead. Evil laughter standing over her. Makaro, a half mask covering her face. Seneca, her red hair stained with blood. It wasn't her own. Nicca, her blue eyes shining with white fire. And then Lee... she had wings, like an angel, but they were a deep orange that kept changing to black. 

"Mistress Alexi..." Alex's dreams ended slowly, the images coming and going. At the last second, she saw all of her friends together, all wearing headbands of varying colors: Nicca with white, Makaro with red, Seneca with green, Caia with dark blue, and Lee with orange. Her sleep ended with the final image of the angel of death her sister would become... "Mistress Alexi, are you alright?"

"Master Rasid?" she asked weakly. "What's going on? Where am I?"

"You're alive," said Quatre. "That's what matters. We should have left you at the estates." She sat up and gave him the severest look she could manage, a light blue headband glittering in the sunrise.

"If you had left me behind, I'd have killed you myself. When you came back alive," she said firmly. "I'm not a person to stay behind while her friends rush into pointless battle. Remember that in the future."Rasid helped her to her feet and she brushed dirt from her arms.

"I thought we had lost you, Miss Alex," said Quatre quietly. Alex lifted her head and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Master Quatre, if I didn't know better, I'd say that was the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me." She gathered up her skirts in one hand. "And if I hear it again, it will be your last." 

Chapter 2- In the Sainted Life

"Duo!"

"What?!"

"Oh for the love of- don't make me tell you again. Stay out of the kitchen! Cripes. You're worse then Uncle Kento." Nicca turned and walked back into the kitchen. Hildi was standing by the stove, trying not to laugh. Duo followed Nicca in and she finally gave up."Fine. But make yourself useful. And stay away from the food."

"You know, Nicca, I haven't had any fun since you came here," said Duo. He grabbed an apple from the bowl on the table and leaned back in his chair. "So whatcha making?"

"Something my aunt used to do for... shrimp fried rice," she said. Sadness flooded into her. God, she missed her family. They were all trapped in the... man, there was a word you didn't expect in this world: Dynasty. Where her parents were. Well, this was turning out to be a damn happy birthday if she'd ever had one. 

"Hey Nicca, a thought occurred to me," said Duo. She shook her head. Duo wasn't born to have thoughts. They just didn't work with his instinct. "Isn't today your birthday?" She nodded slowly, keeping her eyes on the rice in front of her. 

"Why didn't you say anything?" said Hildi. Nicca shrugged.

"It's not a big deal and I didn't want it to become one," she answered quietly Hildi and Duo exchanged a glance, then nodded at each other. 

"Alright. Let's go," said Duo. Nicca looked at both of them in confusion. "It's your birthday. Let's go out and celebrate."

"But I-"

"Oh, come on," said Hildi. She grabbed Nicca's arm. "Let's go have some fun."

"But I-"

"Nicca-so, _come. On_." They all went out the door, still talking. A few seconds later, Nicca ran back in. She bolted to the kitchen, grabbed her jacket, and turned off the stove, then ran to catch up with her friends.

***************

_Makaro-chan, does your head hurt? What about your soul?_

_You're an annoying pain in the ass. Go... blow up a base of something._*

_Your friends and you have given me an advantage by falling for the young pilots. What would you give to keep them alive?_ Her eyes narrowed at the page of the book in front of her, but she had long forgotten the storyline. Then she chuckled softly. 

_If you think you can use that against us, you're wrong. We know their lives are high risk: that doesn't matter. They die, they die._

_We shall see. We shall see._ Makaro shook her head as Trowa walked into the trailer.

"How was the show?" she asked, giving up on her book and setting it on the table. He grabbed a duffel bag from the chair by the door and started out again. "Hey! Wait a minute! Where are you going?" He stopped and turned around. She had gotten up and was leaning against the edge of the couch, her hair falling on her shoulders in waves. 

"I'll be back," he said after a moment of silence. "Just stay here."

"Hold on!" She grabbed his arm as he reached the ground. "Where. Are. You. Going?" He looked at her, hesitating. 

"I'm going to see Quatre." It was her eyes that did it. They had become deep turquoise in a matter of seconds and were glittering in the afternoon sunlight. "But you're staying here." He turned and disappeared into the forest. Makaro crossed her arms over her chest as she walked back into the door.

_And I've got to check on Lee,_ she thought, picking up a red headband that was laying on the table next to her book. _Let's see who gets there first._

***************Trowa dropped to the ground and grabbed his bag. Quatre met him halfway to the house.

"Hi Trowa!" he said.

"Hey Quatre," said Trowa. 

"Let's get out of the sun," said Quatre. Trowa nodded and followed him back to the house. It was nice and cool inside. They walked into a side room and Trowa dropped his bag by the door.

"Where's Alex?" he asked. 

"She's in the garden with-"

"Master Quatre!" Alex came into the room, her dark hair soaking wet. She was laughing. "Come on! It's too nice to be inside!"

"Miss Alex, what happened to you?" said Quatre, trying to hide his laughter. She giggled and raked her fingers through her hair. 

"I didn't start it, I'll give you that much." The door opened further and there was Makaro, her own blue hair pulled back, but soaking too. A red headband was wrapped around her head.

"Hello Master Quatre," she said, grinning. She barely glanced at Trowa. "Are you in a meeting? We can-" Suddenly, Alex jerked. A cold feeling rushed through her.

"What the hell?" she muttered.

"Master Quatre." Rasid opened a different door and stepped in. "It's about Miss Lee."

"Lee?" said Alex fearfully. "What's wrong with my sister?" She didn't wait to hear what. She ran past Rasid and vanished into the hallway. Makaro didn't hesitate to follow her. Neither did the two boys.

What they found was something none of them expected. 

"Alliana!" said Alex happily. She hugged her sister tightly. The confused, but awake Lee cautiously hugged her back.

"Lex-chan... what the hell is going on?" she said. Makaro's hand flew to her mouth and tears welled up in her throat. 

"Oh, god..." she said. "Lee-so, you don't know how much we've wanted to hear that."

"I'm so lost," said Lee. "Where am I? And where are the others?" She saw the guys in the room with them. Alex grinned at her sister's fear.

"It's okay," she said reassuringly. "They're friends." Her eyes fell on Trowa. "I think." Makaro chuckled and wrapped her hand around Trowa's.

"Lex-chan, Lee-so, meet Trowa Barton. Trowa, these are my friends: Alexi and Alliana, but mostly they're just Alex and Lee." 

"Can I talk to you?" said Trowa quietly. She nodded, and grinned.

"Be right back." He pulled her gently into the hallway and shut the door. "What?"

"What the hell are you doing? How did you get here?"

"Let's see. I took a plane, got in yesterday morning and thanks to a quick phone call, was here by yesterday afternoon. I'm here because I thought Alex might need a friend, but... Lee's awake! Isn't it wonderful?!" He caught her arm as she did a happy turn.

"The last time you were with one of your friends, you almost died," he said firmly. "You can't risk that again."

"Alright, Trowa, you're right." She pulled her arm away, her eyes darkening to turquoise. "The last time my friends were together, we almost lost one of us in a city attack. And then, when Nicca and I showed up at the meeting with you Gundam pilots, we almost got blasted. No, scratch that. _I_ got blasted. You all came out fine. But the thought occurs to me. Excluding the first time, which was random, you've been around too. It's not us Shisama wants dead. It's you. You wanna know the real reason I'm here?" Her eyes were deep green now, and lit with a fire that he hadn't seen before.

"What?"

"I came here to watch you. And Quatre. Because I had the same idea: every time you're together, something blows up, gets killed, or basically goes to hell. And I didn't want that to happen to you, the Maganacs, Quatre, Alex, _or_ Lee. Happy now?" She crossed her arms over her chest and set her jaw. He studied her intently, then smiled softly. She was beautiful, but danger was all around her. 

"You could've been killed if one of Shisama's soldiers saw you," he said. She laughed.

"Trowa. Believe me. The last thing any of his soldiers would do is try and kill me. They've got more sense then that. I think." Somewhere in the house, a phone rang. Quatre answered it from inside the room, then opened the door and motioned to Trowa. Marako stayed in the hallway, leaning against the wall, thinking. _He cares too much,_ she said to herself. _It's gonna kill him. Use them against us. Ha!_ Trowa came back out, grim. "What?"

"Hildi's dead," he told her. "Some of the soldiers attacked her, Nicca, and Duo while they were out last night. She was their target." Makaro slammed her fist into the wall, leaving a dent.

"Damn!" she said. "I knew this quiet was too good to be true. How are Duo and Nicca?"

"They're alright. They weren't hurt. Quatre says you can use the phone to call her. It's in the next room." She nodded and walked in through the door. Makaro cursed Shisama silently while she picked up the phone. A sudden movement caught her eye, but it was too late. The snake struck, sinking its teeth into her hand and emptying its poison sacks into her bloodstream. She jerked back with a cry of pain and hit the animal with her other hand. It flew across the room, hit a wall, then recovered and slithered into a well rounded hole. Trowa came in just as it vanished. "Makaro, are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said, holding her hand. There was barely any blood, and the venom wasn't fast acting. "Damn thing bit me, though. Guess there are hazards out of civilization, huh?" She sat down in a chair and wiped off the access blood with her shirt. Then she giggled. "A snake! Who would've thought that a big snake like that would be in here, just waiting to bite someone?" She fell off the chair, laughing, and Trowa knelt down on the floor next to her. He lifted her shoulders off the ground and she started giggling again, her eyes dull and lifeless. "You know what, Barton?" she asked, half babbling. "You're the most gorgeous and wonderful guy I've ever met, but I can't tell you that because I like you a lot and don't want to lose our friendship and oh, god, I don't feel well." She groaned and collapsed against his shoulder. Alex- whose curiosity over her friend's half sane laughing finally won over the rest of her- followed by Quatre, Lee, and Rasid walked into the room.

"Oh, Christ!" she said. "Not again!" Lee took a step backwards. What was this feeling? Her best friend was dying, but she felt... pride. Joy almost. Makaro was going to die slowly...

She had to die...

Chapter 3- Death of Twin Lives

She was dead.

That's all Duo could think about. He had lost his best friend. And Nicca...

He put his arm around her shoulders as she sobbed quietly. She was shaking and felt pained. The man up on the stage was talking about Hildi, but what did he know? He hadn't known her. Nicca straightened, her green eyes angry.

"Shisama," she whispered. "You'll pay." The man finished and people started to get up to leave. Quatre and Lee approached Duo and Nicca. Nicca gave Lee a quick hug and they started talking quietly.

"Quatre," said Duo. "Where's Trowa? And the other girl? Alex?"

"There was another 'accident'," said Quatre. "Only this time, we might lose Makaro again. She was bitten by a snake and it's killing her."

"What?" asked Duo. "No way." Quatre nodded.

"Trowa and Alex stayed with her to watch her, but it's not looking good. They've tried the anti-venom, but... Duo, it was deliberate. The doctors said that it was a King Snake that bit her. Those aren't on that side of the world."

"I don't get it," said Duo. "Shisama's not actually trying to kill *. He's going after our friends. Lee, Nicca, and Makaro by the time of the meeting, Makaro at your place, and... Hildi." He trailed off painfully. Quatre put a comforting hand on his shoulder and smiled softly.

"It's okay," he said. "She's safer where she is now then in the middle of this war." Duo nodded and Nicca gently took his hand.

"Come on," she said quietly. "Let's take a drive. I want to show you something. Lee, Quatre, you can come if you want to." They drove in silence. Duo looked at Nicca and noticed that she was wearing the white headband that Hildi had given her just moments before they were attacked. He swallowed tears and leaned back in the seat as they pulled into the cemetery. "Duo, I wasn't sure of what to do. Hildi's parents died awhile ago, so they couldn't decide... but then I heard about this place." She lead him to two graves set off to the side.

"Trieze and Zechs," said Duo. "Both casualties of the last war."

"And Hildi's one of this war," murmured Nicca. "Her death and their deaths won't be in vain. Shisama will pay." He glanced at her and saw the angry look back in her eyes. It made her look more intense and, on some level, more beautiful. Lee and Quatre came up behind them. 

"It's nice here," said Lee. "There's peace all around." Quatre nodded. "Nicca-so, be safe, okay? We've got to go back to Makaro-chan. Duo, I'm sorry about your friend, but we'll get the bastard that did it. Promise." She brushed a stand of blonde hair from her face and glanced at the headstones, then both of them turned and walked away.

"Duo?" asked Nicca. She swallowed a lump in her throat. "Can we..." He looked at the graves, then put his arm on her shoulders. 

"Ni-ko," he said. "Let's go home."

***************Seneca stirred the sauce and tasted it. 

_It still needs something,_ she said to herself. _But what?_ The door opened in the living room. "Hey!" she said. "Dinner's gonna be ready in a few minutes." The kitchen door opened partly.

"I'm not hungry," said Heero. It was back to his usual monotone. She froze as the door closed again. Chills ran down her spine.

_You're gonna get yourself killed,_ she thought darkly. _And I don't want to lose you, Heero._ "Damn!" The sauce was burning over.

Heero pushed open the door to his room a few hours later and listened. Seneca had fallen asleep on the couch, her homework on the table in front of her. He walked around her and stopped. She turned over, muttering to herself.

"Mother," she said. "Father... demon..." He pulled his jacket off and lay it on her shoulders, then started out the door. "Heero, be careful. I can't lose you now..." He glanced back, but she was still asleep facing the back of the couch. He shook his head and closed the door gently behind him.

Seneca waited for the click of the door before sitting up. She stood and walked to the computer against the back wall. 

"Where are you going now, flyboy?" she wondered to herself. For a moment, there was silence in the room, broken only by the typing of keys. Then she sat back and scratched her arm. "So. It was a mission. Well, Shisama won't get you. Not if I can help it." She picked up the jacket that had fallen to the floor and rushed out the door, her red hair tossed back to reveal a green headband. 

***************

Heero ripped through three or four suits with the beam sabre. But there were too many. They came at him from all sides and attacked. He closed his eyes, ready to accept death. Something suddenly tore into half of them and he managed to avoid the other half and destroy them.

There was another suit. It resembled a Gundam, but at the same time, it was different. It was dark green and carried a large nodaochi looking-weapon. There was a laugh.

"Don't be so surprised, flyboy," said a familiar voice. "Haven't you ever seen a Soul Wing?"

"... Seneca?" he asked hesitantly. More suits came, and there was no reply. They fought against the suits until everyone of them fell, then he faced the other suit, his sabre raised. "Who are you?"

"Hey hey hey, don't do something we'll both regret." The front of the suit opened and she stepped into the light, her arms raised. "But if it helps, I surrender. There shouldn't be fighting between us."

"What the hell?" He stepped out into the light. "Seneca-chan, where did you..."

"How should I know? Besides, you wouldn't believe me if I tried, so I won't. Just let it be with the fact that you're the last person I'd kill right now. Shisama's first."

"Why didn't you stay back?" She shrugged.

"Because I like you alive more then dead." She turned to go back into her suit when something struck her hard in the side. Her balance faltered as incredible pain tore through the old wound that had only been half healed. "Damn it!" she said, catching herself on the side of her suit. "Shisama! You bastard!"

"Seneca!" said Heero. He looked in the direction the bullet had come from and saw a flash of light. There was sniper! Seneca's hold slipped and she collapsed.

Chapter 4- Suddenly Evil

Alex and Lee sat across from each other by the side of the fountain, a card game between them. But neither of them had any interest in the game.

"If this war goes on, we could lose everything," said Alex. She leaned over the side of the fountain and looked in the water's reflection. "Lee-so, why does it have to be so complicated? All of the wars back home were simple. You had the good guys and the bad guys, depending on how you looked at it. But now... it's hard to know who to trust." She ran her fingers through the image and sat back down. "Lee, that snake was there for a reason." Lee nodded, forcing more of the feeling out of her.

"Your move," she said stiffly. Alex laid down a card without much thought. 

"The doctor said it was deliberate. But why would it be in your room?" wondered Alex thoughtfully. "That's the part that worries me."

"Good timing, I guess." The feeling was turning into a rage of dark emotions. "Excuse me a second, Lex-chan. I'll be right back." She ran inside and leaned against the wall in the darkness. Intense pain ripped through her.

_Alliana, you are my pawn. Release your soul to me..._

"No!" she screamed. "Leave me alone, demon!" Alex heard her sister yell and started towards her, but the ground rocked, sending her into the fountain.

"Damn!" she said, rubbing the back of her head. She pulled herself out, prayed that the water hadn't affected her headband and concentrated hard. The Maganacs and Quatre had already left, assuming she would stay behind where it was safe.

Yeah. Right.

"Here comes that suit," said Rasid. But the Soul Wing went past them and headed towards the house. "It seems that we have been tricked. He is after Mistress Alexi and Miss Lee." Quatre had a flash of Alex, her brown eyes shining. 

"Miss Alex..." he whispered. "Miss Lee..."

"You incompetent fool boy!" yelled a voice. "She won't die! Fight me or I'll kill you!" The Tall Geese was back and mad as ever. "You aren't worthy of that Gundam! Give it to me!"

"Bastard!" The blue suit slammed into the Tall Geese just before it attacked Quatre. They hit the ground, sending up clouds of sand. When it cleared, they were facing off. "You're a dumb ass, Shisama. Attacking now. What're you trying to do? Destroy this beautiful place? I won't let you!"

"That... that's..." Quatre trailed off. "Miss Alex?"

"Fight, damn you!" she yelled at Shisama, who was unmoving. "I won't attack first." The Virgoes were attacking the Maganacs. "Master Quatre, help them. I can handle this guy."

"Be careful, Miss Alex," he said, going to fight with the Corps. 

Lee knew there was battle. And she knew who was in it. Alex. Quatre. Lord Shi- no! No, that was all wrong! Shisama was evil!

_You are evil, child. Give me your soul. I will win... no matter what..._ Lee screamed. She had to get out. And leave, before whatever darkness inside of her got to Alex and the others. 

_I won't let you control me,_ she thought, tearing the chain from her neck. She threw it into the fountain as she ran from the estate. _Alex, understand. You're still my sister. That won't change._

***************

"Miss Alex!" said Quatre. She stood up shakily and walked into the sunlight. "What in the world?"

"Quatre, you wouldn't believe me if I tried," she said. "Let's just say that we're on the same side, no matter what." 

"Mistress Alexi," said Rasid. "Why didn't you say anything?" She brushed her hair over her shoulder and spread her hands out in front of her.

"If it didn't make sense to me, why should it make sense to you?" she said. "And I didn't want you to worry about... this." She motioned to the suit. "It's not easy, but I _will_ get the hang of this thing. It won't control me."

_My sister. That won't change._ Alex wavered. She fell back into the seat and rested her head in her hands.

"Lee-so," she muttered. "Don't do anything stupid. Please." She closed her eyes. _IceShadow, EarthAbsolute, FireWing, AirWind, LightIllume, InfernoBlade, Dimsera, Semakai, Jusai, Hillia, Nicho, Wisdom, Virtue, Life, Justice, Trust, please. The powers that run in the blood of my friends, myself, my sister, protect us all from the destruction that is coming. I can't make a simpler wish for peace._ She slowly woke from the dream of death and looked up directly at Quatre's blue eyes. She bolted up in surprise. "Master Quatre!" she said. "Where... what..." He smiled gently.

"It's okay, Miss Alex," he said quietly. "You're back. Just rest."

"Where's Lee?" He frowned.

"She was gone when we arrived back," he explained. "We've looked everywhere for her." To his shock, she laid back down with a soft smile.

"She's not coming back," she said, tears burning the back of her eyes. "She knows that Shisama's evil rests in her. Oh, Alliana. Why couldn't I protect you?" A sob escaped her throat. Hopelessness and loss overcame her. She had had her sister back, all of her friends well and safe. Now Lee was gone... Makaro was dying... she had no hope for the future. Shisama was going to win because he had corrupted their love for each other. Lee was gone... her sister was on the side of evil. All because of Shisama! Their parents were dead. Hildi. Makaro. The Gundam pilots would be next. Heero. Trowa. Wufei. Duo. _Quatre_. The Maganac Crops. The entire world, all gone to that damn bastard! 

Suddenly, Alex felt warmth over throw the negative feelings. She opened her eyes and looked at Quatre. He tightened his grip on her hand and brushed away one of her tears.

"Miss Alex," he said firmly. "You can't give in. He wants you to feel despairingly about this war. But you have to stay strong. For your friends and for the Maganacs too. We all care deeply for you and couldn't stand to see you lose to such an enemy when you alone could beat him. You have to believe in your friends and Lee. They'll come through." Alex sat up and for a moment, they both sat in silence, looking at each other. 

"Master Quatre..." 

"Miss Alex, please," he said. "You've saved my life twice now. Call me Quatre." She smiled.

"Only if you don't call me 'Miss Alex'."

"What should I call you then?" She giggled.

"Just Alex," she said. "It's what my friends call me."

***************

Wufei sat crossed legged, pinning Caia's feet beneath him. She sat up, then lay back down and had been for the last fifteen minutes. She still wasn't tired.

"I can't believe you let me sleep for that long," she said. "For crying out loud, Wufei-chan, I didn't need that much rest."

"So I noticed." She sat up again and stayed long enough to give him a curious look.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You've been at this for almost twenty minutes." Caia stayed up this time and rested her hands on her knees.

"Bored, Wufei-chan?" she asked with a smile. "I'd think that you'd had enough excitement to last you a lifetime."

"I don't think I'll ever have that," he said. She considered this, then nodded.

"Right. You're a Gundam pilot. Sorry. Forgot that one." He shook his head and stood up. She sighed and followed him into the kitchen. "Okay. So I'm energetic. Live with it, Wufei-chan. You'll get it a lot."

"I almost liked you better asleep." Suddenly, he had a dagger at his throat. Caia sighed at her own lack of sense and pulled the blade back. 

"You had better not mean that," she added, slipping the knife back into the sheath on her arm. "I feel so bad about Hildi. She shouldn't have died."

"It's war, Caia. Everything dies in some way." She leaned against the table and closed her eyes.

"If I had just woken up sooner... I could've warned them. And Maka-so."

"Huh?" Her cheeks reddened when she realized she had spoken aloud.

"Nothing," she muttered. "It's nothing. Just something I should've been thinking instead of speaking." She grabbed her jacket from the back of the chair. "I'm going for a walk. Wanna come?" He shook his head and she walked out of the kitchen.

He wouldn't be there by the time she got back.

The End


	3. Chapter 3

Fitful Wishing, pt 3: Patron Saint of Nothing

Sequel to "Inside the Forbidden"

Prologue- In the Shallow Darkness

Lee staggered up the last part of the ridge and glanced down. The ground seemed even further away to her fevered mind.

"It ends here, demon!" she hollered. "I will die and you won't have me to fight against my family! I will have the last word as to who uses my body!" And with that said, she flung herself from the rocks. 

Eyes of a dead watched her with interest. She was obviously insane. But not many people, especially young girls, yelled to demons.

And got a response.

Chapter 1- The Mission

Seneca collapsed on the bed and sighed in exhaustion.

"Damn it," she said. "You'd think they were sticking us in the war day after next."

"They're preparing us," said Heero. "The last war wasn't easy and this one be any easier."

"Yeah. I know." There was a beeping sound from the computer. Seneca froze, the bolted from the bedroom but she was too late. "What's up this time?"

"It's for you," said Heero, getting up from the chair. "From someone code named 'Pacifist'." Seneca sat down and opened the e-mail. A code box came up at once.

"Gotta love this," she said happily. "Let's see. What was it last time? Epyon? So let's try Wing... Zero... Ha! It works."

"Somehow I think it would work with whatever you put." She rolled her eyes. He was such a pessimist. Then she grinned.

"Alright! A mission!" she said. "I've been wondering when I would get another one."

"The last one almost killed you."

"The last one almost killed you," she mocked. "How many times are we going to say that to each other? Live and let die, flyboy. We're in war. Good luck on the exam, by the way. I'll be long, long gone." She disappeared out the door and he shook his head, then sat down to see where she had gone. But the message had self-deleted, leaving a blank page. Then another message came up, from the same source, but to him.

_Heero,_

_Seneca is under my influence now. There is another who is giving you missions, but we are working together to make sure you do not end up in the same location. This is for your good as well hers. Be careful, Heero. The past still lives._ After a moment, the message self-deleted too. There were two of them? But who? And where had Seneca gone? 

***************Trowa rested his chin on his hands and watched Makaro. Three weeks. And she was still alive. Barely, but she was still alive. 

_I was right there,_ he thought. _I should've looked. She wouldn't be like this if I had._ The door opened gently and Catherine walked in. She laid her hand on Trowa's shoulder and he looked up at her.

"Hi," she said quietly. "How are you doing? How's Maka-so?" 

"Hey, sis," said Trowa softly. "She's getting worse. The anti-venom won't take effect."

"It'll be okay," she said. "Makaro's strong. She'll get through this." He nodded. "Don't give up hope on her yet."

_Makaroan, please, don't leave us..._

_Our lovely child, don't let this be the reason you give up. Your friends still need you, just like the pilot. Trust in the powers of the past._ The door opened again and Nicca and Alex walked in. 

"Trowa, Duo wants to talk to you," said Alex. "You too, Catherine. We'll watch her." Trowa and Catherine left. Nicca exchanged a glance with her friend. "Okay. Let's see what exactly is keeping Marako down. The anti-venom has to have a reason not to work."

"Well, okay, let's try this," said Nicca, pointing the IV bag. "Shouldn't that be clear?" Alex shook her head.

"No, stupid. That's the anti... Oh. My. God. Nicca, you're right. Sort of."

"Huh?"

"Okay. Anti-venom is just the snake's venom over again, correct? So..." Nicca snapped her fingers.

"It would be easy to switch the two. Damn. We're good." Alex rolled her eyes and sighed. "Come on. Even if we've found out the problem, that's only half the solution. I don't think anything can save her now."

"We've still gotta try. We can't win without Marako." They both stood on one side of their friend's bed and linked arms. Alex closed her eyes. "Ancient wise ones, hear our cry. Please, heal the evil in Makaro." A soft blue glow surrounded her and a white one around Nicca. Another light came from Makaro, but hers was black, mixed with red. _The evil is fighting with her true power. I hope we can beat it._ Alex felt herself slipping. Her power combined with Nicca's and the pale blue light twisted like smoke with the darkness. Then it moved up the IV. When it finally cleared, the blackness was gone from Makaro and the IV was clear. Alex released her hold on Nicca and sank back into a chair. "Please. Let her be okay."

"Whoa," said Nicca. "That'll kill ya'. Where'd you pick that up, Lex-chan?"

"My mom used to tell me that the strongest healer armors were IceAmend and Halo: the ones in my family. But InfernoBlade, yours, was good at healing FireWing, Makaro. I know that's confusing, but it worked, so leave it at that."

"Hey, we'll forget I even asked." Both of them laughed as the door opened again. Trowa, Duo, and Quatre walked in, followed by Catherine.

"What's so funny?" wondered Duo. Nicca just grinned.

"You wouldn't believe me," she answered. Makaro groaned softly and clenched her fingers on the blanket. Then she opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling.

"Damn it," she said weakly. "Someone tell me I haven't been out for two weeks again." Alex chuckled.

"You haven't been out for two weeks-" she started.

"You've been out for three," added Nicca helpfully. Makaro closed her eyes and shook her head. 

"I'm going to miss the entire war if this keeps happening," she muttered. Trowa moved from the doorway and her eyes opened again. She looked at him and smiled gently. "Hi." Alex sensed they wanted to be left alone and motioned for the others to leave. Nicca started out the door, but Duo hadn't moved.

"Come on, idiot," she said, grabbing his braid and yanking him out of the room. He said something, but it was masked by the closing of the door. Trowa sat down in the chair and her smile vanished.

"You're blaming yourself," she said. "When it was my fault. You can't do that, Trowa. It's what Shisama wants."

"It was my fault, Mara-ko-" He didn't finish. The doctor ran in, followed by the nurse, and Catherine.

"How can you still be alive?!" he yelled, seeing Makaro. He pulled a gun from his lab coat pocket and fired at the nurse. She went down, dead. "Lord Shisama wants you dead. I will make it so!" Suddenly, he staggered backward. Catherine pulled her fist back and hit him again. He went down, the gun sliding across the floor and into the bathroom.

"Alright Cathy!" said Makaro. She sat up and glared at the doctor. "Shisama's network of underlings is strong."

"Are you okay?" Trowa asked Catherine. She nodded and rubbed her hand.

"We've got to get Makaro out of here," she said. The door flew open and everyone came in, including another doctor. 

"Oh, dear god," he said. "Who is this man? He doesn't work here."

"He's the enemy," muttered Makaro. "And part of the Jackals."

Chapter 2- For the Love of Life

"Mara-ko-"

"Don't start with me, Trowa." She was standing in the doorway, her hair loose and tousled over the headband, since she had just woken up. "I mean it. If I've got a mission, I'm gonna do it, damn it."

"You're still-"

"You add 'too weak' and I'll show you how weak I am," she threatened. The green fire in her eyes suddenly dimmed slightly. "Trowa, we're both part of this war. We just have to do some things on our own."

"Mara-ko, you've become a big target for the Jackals, whether you admit it or not," he said. She collapsed on the couch with an exasperated sigh.

"Trowa, I know I'm his target. It's because of him I'm here in the first place. But this mission has nothing to do with him. I'm just going to meeting of the colony and Earth leaders. If anything, I'll die of boredom." She sat up. "And besides, Miss Relina will be there, not to mention I've got Phoenix if Shisama attacks."

"You can't use a mobile suit at a meeting like that, even if the Jackals attack," he said, sitting next to her. "There's too much innocence at risk." She sighed again. "Mara-ko, you have to be careful."

"I know I do," she said, standing up. "But I don't need you to tell me that." This time, he sighed.

"Is there anything you take seriously?" he asked. She was silent for a moment and he looked at her. Makaro's blue-green eyes had become brownish. He had never seen them do that. 

"I'm serious," she said quietly. "About a lot of things, Trowa. But this war isn't one of them. I know I should be but... my father used to say 'There will always be evil. Just like there will always be good.' The war isn't something I'm serious about because it's a war: it's a stupid pointless way of good and evil to fight it out. And no matter who wins, the evil will always come back." She lifted her head and looked back at him. "Trowa, you of all people should know that."

"Mara-ko..." He brushed a strand of hair back from her face. "I just don't want you getting hurt again." She closed her eyes and nodded.

"And I don't want to lose the world..." He gently pulled her closer and...

There was a knock at the door.

"Alright, Maka-so. You've got some explaining to do!" came a voice. Makaro swore and pulled back. She walked to the door and opened it. 

"Nicca?" Nicca grinned.

"Hi!" she said brightly. "And why haven't you left for your mission yet?" Trowa stood up and walked back to the bedroom. Nicca raised an eyebrow. "Did I miss something?"

"Just a whole lot," Makaro shot back. "I haven't left yet because I just got my mission. Why are you here?"

"My mission's in town somewhere. When I saw the circus was here, I thought I'd drop in." Makaro sighed and dropped her head in her hands.

"You've got great timing," she muttered. "I'll see you later. Bye Trowa!"

"Bye," was the only answer.

***************

Makaro tapped the pencil on her knee and watched the speakers. What the hell kinda mission was this? She was gonna fall asleep sooner then later.

"The Colonies and Earth recently raged a war with each other," continued the fifth or sixth (or seventh. She had lost count at 'three') speaker. "Military tactics were well used, as well as abused, in the battle field and off. Among the most heinous was the use of five children who were named the Gundam pilots." Makaro straightened, just like Relina, who was next to her. Several more people in the room did too. "They were taken from their families and raised to be killing machines, aided by the mobile suits their name was derived from."

"Who is this guy?" whispered Makaro. Relina looked grim.

"Marshal Hellean. He's Shisama's right hand."

"That explains a lot." Whoever he was, he was winning over half the crowd and gaining death sentences from the other. But he was unfazed.

"They were brutal fighters and many lost their lives in unfair battles. The Gundam mobile suits were constructed of Gundanium alloy, a very strong metal. They also have shrewd minds."

"I'll give him shrewd," growled Makaro. Relina laid her hand on her arm and shook her head.

"You're not ready for a fight like that," she said quietly. Makaro settled back down, but she was ready none the less.

"And, in addition to total ruthlessness, they are responsible for the deaths of Field Marshal Noventa, all accounted for on his craft that day, Trieze Kushrenada, Miliardo PeaceCraft-"

"That's enough, Marshal Hellean!" said Relina, standing up angrily. "What you are saying is true, but I know the five that you are talking of, and of the deaths you have mentioned. My brother is one of them. But he gave his life willingly to save the Earth from being destroyed. And Trieze's battle was one he also willingly fought. You are portraying the young pilots who have saved this world and the colonies, and are fighting for them now, by their own will, as some kind of medical experiment gone wrong!" Applause rang throughout the hall, but was silenced by dark laughter. Makaro got up and joined Relina. She knew that sound.

"Very well done, Minister Darlian." At the head of the building, a tall throne-like chair rose from the floor. "Ladies, gentleman, and Miss Hashiba, I was going to make my appearance at the end of Marshal Hellean's speech, but Minister Darlian provided me the perfect opportunity. Every word she has spoken about the pilots is true: they are kind and gentle, but they are also ruthless and deadly. I have seen them in action. They will not be an easy enemy to defeat."

"Uh, Shisama?" spoke up Makaro. "Hate to burst your bubble, hon, but I'm not going against them, Minister Darlian isn't going against them, and probably half this room isn't going against them. They've done too much for this world." He laughed again.

"Miss Hashiba, you have presented the exact problem I invited you all here to discuss: the real reason for this war. There are delegates here from the colonies, from Earth, and from both the colonies and Earth. But Miss Hashiba, you are here for the Gundam pilots." Makaro raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about, Shisama?" she asked. 

"Why, the only reason you're still alive: to defend the pilots. The whole reason I brought you _here_." Makaro groaned. 

"How could I have been so stupid?" she asked. "You brought me and the others here to... Shisama, that's low. Really low." He sat up straighter, darkness gleaming in his eyes.

"Miss Hashiba, you don't seem to understand. My enjoyment comes from watching you suffer. Now, all who are here to stop this war, you may leave. But know that the battle is far from over. In fact, it is just beginning." 

***************

Wufei walked around the inside of the building. Some mission. He had the information, but now he just to meet the informant. 

A waltz started in the party room. Couples danced around to the slow pace, but he waited outside the door. Where was he? 

"Do you have what I want?" asked a soft voice. He turned and faced a delicate looking young woman. Her deep green dress matched the feather mask and headband set with light blue jewels. "Assuming you are who I am looking for."

"But... you're a woman," he said uncertainly. The hand not holding the feather mask produced a dagger without much thought. He recognized the symbols carved into the blade at once. "You _are_ Caia." She sighed and lowered the mask.

"Just tell me if you have the information or not," she said. "There's a party going on and I'd like to join the fun before I head back."

"Why are you here?" She threw her hands up in the air, then slipped the knife back into the sheath well concealed at her side. 

"For the love of- Wufei-chan, you need a doctor to look at your head. Or a CAT Scan. Either way, _I_ am the informant. I was sent here to get the information you have. And, if I have the time, which I probably won't, to spend some time at the party," she explained. "Look. I even put on a damn dress for this thing." She motioned to the gown that spread out around her. 

"Who sent you here?" She shrugged.

"Someone named 'Pacifist'," she said. "I got the mission right after you left. I didn't know it was you I had to meet, though." _I probably would've bought a nicer dress,_ she added to herself.

"I didn't think it would be you I had to meet," he said. He glanced back at the party. Jackels soldiers mixed with the other people. "It's not safe, Caia."

"Wufei-chan, need I remind you that I can kick ass, skirt or not skirt? No skirt, preferably, but I can work with it." She brushed a strand of her hair back. "And I'll have you with me, so..."

"Wait a minute, I didn't say I was coming," he said. She sighed.

"Fine. I'll just have to enjoy myself amongst groups of unknown guys." She put her hands on her hips. "But not until you give me the information." He took the disk from his back pocket and handed it to her. It vanished after a moment in her possession. "Thank you," she said, giving a deep curtsey. "You have been very helpful." She carefully picked up her skirt and started into the hall. He stayed behind. _Come on, Wufei-chan,_ she thought. _For my sake, be jealous. I want to spend tonight with you._ She waited patiently, but he didn't come. Sighing, Caia made her way to a table in the back, hoping to avoid unnecessary attention. 

It was too much to hope.

Almost immediately, three young men, dressed very nicely, came up and asked her to dance. She declined the first two, but got sick of sitting around when the third guy came up, so she accepted and moved out with him onto the dance floor. He was actually quite nice looking, with light blonde hair and deep green eyes, but he didn't have the air of maturity she was used to from Wufei. 

"You have beautiful eyes," he said softly. She groaned inwardly. Not that tired old... god, she had gotten that from every guy back at her school at least once. Then again, she hadn't gotten it once here.

_Wake up, Caia,_ said the voice of reason that seldom made itself known. _He's your friend. Nothing more. Get a damned clue and move on with your life._ She sighed.

"Thanks," she said. "My name's Caia."

"Ja-" That's as far as he got. Someone coughed behind him and he let go of Caia's waist. 

"May I cut in?" Caia, despite herself, grinned. She knew that voice. Ja-something nodded reluctantly and moved away. 

"Wufei-chan," she said. "You've got some nerve coming here and interrupting us like that. I was having a good time."

"Sure looked like you were," he said, giving her an off smile. "Will you dance with me, Caia-so?" She nodded, but caught movement out of the corner of her eye. The soldiers were closing in. He saw them to, but made no indication of it. Instead, he pulled her towards him and held her closely. "Wonder what set them off?" she whispered in his ear.

"Are you ready?" he asked. 

"Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"I can't reach my dagger."

"Why not?"

"You've got your arm on it, Wufei-chan." He pulled back and brushed her hair from her face. "Thanks..." She moved her free arm slowly from his back to her side. He gently leaned towards her as there was a click of a gun. "Some other time," she said softly. Then she turned around and hit one of the guns with the tip of her blade, sending it into the crowd. Instantly, everything froze, then the civilians backed up, leaving a space between Wufei and Caia and the three Jackals. Two with guns, one eyeing his disdainfully. "You creeps work fast."

"You're the boy who has the information," said the gunless leader. Wufei shook his head.

"Not me." The disk appeared in Caia's other hand, gleaming in the light.

"Bet you're looking for this," she said. "Come and get it." They attacked, before she make it vanish again. So she did the next best thing: she threw it up in the air. "Three!" Wufei kicked the gun from someone's hand and slammed his fist into the other guy's chest. "Two!" Caia grabbed the gun hand of one man and twisted it. He let go painfully and she caught him on the side of the head. "One!" The leader went for Caia first, leaving Wufei the chance to hit him from behind. At the same time, Caia kicked high and hit his head, but when she came back down, her weight was off balance due to the dress. Someone caught her before she could hit the ground and she grabbed the disk before it did too. "Okay. Not bad."

"Not bad?" asked Wufei, raising an eyebrow. She shook her head.

"Alright, I lied. That kicked ass." There was some scattered applause as they moved onto the balcony. It was a clear night, with a chilly wind that tossed the edges of Caia's hair around her face. "Wufei-chan? Thanks for coming back. I was hoping you would." There was a streak of light to the north and she closed her eyes. _Star light, starbright,_ she thought. _I wish that we find a way home. But not until Shisama's been defeated, once and for all._ She turned to him and smiled. "You look lost in thought, Wufei-chan. Any particular reason?" He started to shake his head, then sighed. 

"You look beautiful tonight," he said. Caia was taken off guard. She was debating asking him where the real Wufei had gone when he grabbed her firmly by the shoulders and kissed her. 

_Whoa and holy-!!_ That ended all doubt. It was the real Wufei. He had lost his mind, but it was him. She kissed him back and felt incredible warmth flow into her. _Shisama can do whatever the hell he wants: but he can't take this away from us. I won't let him win. He'll be defeated. For. Good_*

Chapter 3- Dark Child

Lee slowly felt her battle end. She had misjudged the cliff. It had been too short. But her injuries would be enough to kill her eventually. At the last moments, the darkness left her. _I just want to die... peacefully..._

But her darkness wasn't to be. Someone else was there. Someone who knew the feeling of internal demons constantly tormenting the soul. Someone who would be her savior in the future.

Lee's eyes opened to rain pounding against a window. Was she... dead? No. Her head was throbbing. She couldn't be dead. Unless it was her punishment for betraying her friends. Lightening flashed, followed by thunder, but that was further away. It was the end of the storm. There was another flash, and this time, the power died. 

_It must've struck a powerline,_ she thought, sitting up carefully. A bandage was wrapped around her chest, but she had her shirt back on. Whichever one she had been wearing. It was probably the same as when she had left Alex and Quatre. How long ago had that been, anyway...

The door opened. The flamed of a candle floated in, it's holder barely visible. But Lee stayed still. Nothing could scare her ever again. Nothing could be as frightening as feeling of joy about her friend dying. Was Makaro really dead? What about the rest of her friends? Caia, Seneca, Nicca? And Alex... where was she? Why couldn't Lee sense her anywhere?

"You're awake," said a voice. It was cold, but pained. The voice of a soldier who had wanted to die, but couldn't. She nodded. "How do you feel?"

"Like hell," she answered. "But it's what I deserve. You shouldn't have saved me. You should've let me die." 

"No one deserves to die like," he said . "You're a Jackal. You should know that." 

"What?" Lee shook her head. "Look. I'm a lot of things, but I'm _not_ a Jackel." He set the candle down on the table and she made note of her dagger laying there, still in the sheath. Had it been cleaned? She vaguely remembered stabbing someone. Not fatally, but still...

"You have the mark they carry. On your arm." She raised an eyebrow and pushed up the sleeve on her shirt. Branded onto her skin was the mark of the Jackals. She touched it gently and felt intense pain again. The evil hadn't left her. It was just laying dormant, ready to strike. And destroy. "You need rest." He picked up the candle again and blew it out as the lights came back on. Then he quietly left the room. Lee laid back down, contemplating this new fate. 

_If I stay, I risk his life,_ she thought, staring at the ceiling. _He saved mine, even if he's probably damned this world. I can't stay. I have to leave as soon as possible._ Her eyes closed and sleep overcame her before she could think any further on the subject. 

***************

Lee kicked the blanket off her legs and picked up her knife gently. It was the one thing she could hold on to now. The only thing she had left from her old life. She pulled the blade loose and looked at he symbol on it. Wisdom. Her father. Alex's bore the symbol of Courage, but the other girl's had two: one from each of their parents. Spirit and Life for Makaro, Faith and Virtue for Nicca, Trust and Devotion for Seneca, and Caia carried Justice and Compassion. But nothing made any sense. Makaro had no life now. Who could Seneca trust? 

She stood up and laid the silver pendent to her necklace on the table, then attached the sheath to her jeans. Somehow, when they had bought those on a shopping trip with each other not even a week before they had been brought to the Gundam world, they hadn't known how much they would mean in the future.

Way in the future, considering. 

He was standing outside on the balcony. The rain had stopped, and thin rays of sunlight cut through the clouds. But they didn't seem to go near him. Pity. He would've looked gorgeous like that. Shaking her head, Lee slipped out the door. At first, the street was empty. But something grabbed her from behind and pinned the dagger to her side. She started to yell, but a blow to the head silenced her. The two soldiers dragged her back into the shadows.

Miliardo PeaceCraft/Zechs Marquis heard the door click shut and knew she had gone. 

_"I will die and you won't have me to fight against my family!"_

_"You shouldn't have saved me. You should've let me die."_ He heard her words in his mind. She _was_ insane. But no one deserved that kind of death. Especially someone who was as beautiful...

***************

Nicca leaned on the edge of the bridge and looked down into the water. It was a clear to the bottom, but tinged greenish. Large fish swam in the slow current and reflected the light that made it down that far. Briefly, she wondered how deep it really was. The sound of a car behind her broke her train of thought. 

"What's up, Ni-ko?" asked Duo, leaning next to her. She shrugged. "You're not gonna jump, are you?" She chuckled.

"No, I'm not gonna jump," she said. "Idiot." He laughed.

"So how'd your mission go?" he asked. 

"Okay, I guess," she said. "I did what I was supposed to, interrupted Trowa and Makaro when I probably shouldn't have, and got to see the circus." One fish attacked another, turned their reflections into white waves, then little ripples.

"I remember going to the circus with Hildi," he said quietly. "I should've spent more time with her."

"Duo, she didn't die in vain. We'll get Shisama," said Nicca. "You can't dwell on the past. Live in the present."

"You sound like a philosopher," he said with a small laugh. 

"Well, it makes sense!" She pulled herself onto the ledge and leaned again one of the support beams. "Hildi was close to you. But if you let her memory give you too much pain, then you'll never have any other chances to meet people. I'm not saying _anyone_ can replace her, because that's not possible, but there's always the chance at another friendship close to and/or resembling it." The wind picked up, blowing the clouds in front of the sun. "You just have to let yourself attract that kind of person." He turned around and rested his elbows on the bridge side.

"She was a great person," he murmured. "There's not gonna be someone like her in my life again." Nicka sighed and dangled her legs over the side above the water. "Will you be careful?"

"My mom used to tell my dad that destiny is a bitch: it doesn't have a clue, we don't have a clue, things just happen. But in my opinion, destiny has some sort of idea of who it wants to play with. Right now, I'm thinking it's us. We're fighting to save an entire world and the colonies too. But when fate throws something like death into the mixture of pain and happiness of life, it's not hard: it's damn impossible. Hildi did what she had to in this life: she befriended the Gundam pilot who she saw had the most problems with fate. She even told me that. She helped you in the last war and she can help you now. You just have to let your heart show you what she taught you." The water calmed and became glassy again. Duo looked at his image and saw tears running down his cheeks. He dropped his head down and let the tears come. Nicca didn't say anything, but stroked his hair gently. "If it hurts now and you push it away, it's only gonna hurt more in the future. But if you let it out and take care of it before it over throws you, eventually, it won't hurt so much."

"I could've saved her," he whispered. "She didn't have to die." She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on them.

"We both blame ourselves," she said quietly. "I was right there. If that bastard had aimed two inches to the right, it would've hit me. And both of us would still be alive. But I would die, if it meant she was living again." He lifted his head and looked up at her. "Better?" He nodded, then brushed a tear off her face. She hadn't even realized she had been crying. But suddenly, pain welled up from nowhere. He wrapped his arms around her and she buried her face in his shoulder. "Oh, god, Duo. It's all my fault. I should've killed Shisama when I had the chance."

"It's okay," he said. "It's okay, Ni-ko. We'll both get him. For Hildi." There was a crack of thunder and rain came out of nowhere. "Nicca." She lifted her head up. "I don't want to lose you now." She closed her eyes.

"And you did before?" she asked softly. He lifted his hand and his fingers brushed her cheek.

"I never wanted to lose you..." He kissed her gently and, after a moment of lost thought, she kissed him back. Then she pulled back and they stood in the rain, looking at each other, before Duo remembered he even had a car, much less it was right behind them. "We should... get out of the rain."

"Yeah..." 

Chapter 4- If Walls Could Talk

Alex walked out of the back of the house and into the garden. God, did the sun never stop shining? But today, it was glinting on something in the fountain. She bent down and pulled a thin chain from the water. But where was the 'L' shaped pendent?

"Lee's necklace," she muttered. She wiped it dry on her shirt and put it on. _I can't believe I missed this. Oh, Lee, where are you?_ She sat on the edge of the fountain and looked up at the cloudless sky. _Everything's working towards our favor, but it's all too fake. How can I win if I don't have Lee to fight with? And how can I keep going while I'm so lost?_ She looked back at the house and saw Quatre leaning in the doorway. She smiled gently at him. _But I can depend on one thing: Quatre and the Maganacs._

"Would you like to come in for dinner?" She nodded and stood up. "What's wrong, Miss Alex?" 

"I'm just confused," she said, shaking her head. "Nothing new." Rasid met them halfway to the dining room.

"Master Quatre, Mistress Alexi, you must see this. It's about Miss Lee." Alex raised an eyebrow, but followed him do the hanger. Something was being shone on a computer. It _was_ Lee! Sort of...

"I am Alliana Date, formally known as Lee by many, including the Gundam pilots," she said. Alex could only see that her eyes were blank and gone. It wasn't her sister talking. "I am here on behalf of my Lord Shisama to announce six new suits, one of which is mine. They were the armors of Soul Wing, constructed of Gundanium and resembling the Gundams, but their pilots are _not_ the same. They include every one of my former friends and my sister. Lord Shisama wishes these suits, as well as the Gundams and all pilots turned over immediately."

"You've got to kidding me," said Makaro, sitting down on the couch next to Trowa.

"No way..." Seneca trailed off, exchanging a glance with Heero. 

"How can she betray us?" wondered Caia, tightening her grip on the glass of water in her hand. 

"This is ridiculous!" Nicca threw her hands up in the air and almost smacked Duo. "That traitor!"

"If the suits and pilots are not turned over within 72 hours, the colonies and Earth will suffer. There is no negotiating. All of the requested items and people must be present, or there will still be consequences not to their liking. On behalf of the Jackals, I thank you." She bowed her head and the transmission ended. Alex gripped the edges of the computer console, then regained her composure.

"Damn it!" she swore. 

"She doesn't give us any choice," said Quatre. "We have to do what they want. We can't risk innocent lives."

"Quatre..." she trailed off. "This is bull. Lee's my sister. I'm not gonna give in." Then she grinned slyly. "Not totally, anyway."

"So that's it," said Makaro. "We've got to give up. Or there's no way that this world will survive."

"You can't give up," said Trowa. "There's always another way." The computer made a beeping sound and they heard Alex's voice.

"Maka-so, Trowa, drop whatever you're doing. We've got a world to save."

***************

"So basically, half of us create a diversion, half of us do the leg work," said Nicca. She picked at her salad. "That's your plan, Lex-chan?"

"It'll work," said Alex. "Trust me. The guys are the diversion. The rest of us need to get close enough to Lee to beat some sanity into her and then, all six of us get Shisama. It worked before, with our moms."

"First off," said Makaro. She popped a grape into her mouth and swallowed before going on. "My mom almost died. Secondly, they had the Ronins armors and the Soul Bearer armors too. We've got six- five girls with no basic clue and mobile suits."

"Plus Gundams and really cute pilots," added Seneca. "If we do it right, Lex's plan will work. We screw it up and everyone's dead. Us, the guys, Lee, the world, and the colonies. That's the high and low of it."

"We've got two days," said Caia. "To convince the guys and get ready."

"Getting ready won't be hard. Convincing the guys will," said Makaro. "But something else occurs to me. We're gonna end up in a battle to decide all, right? What then?"

"Self destruction," said Alex. "I've taken the liberty of disabling Quatre's self destruct, should they be with us and want to follow suit, so to speak. We're here to protect them in addition to the world."

"I did the same with Heero's," said Seneca sheepishly. "He's done it once before and he won't survive if it happens again." Caia coughed and looked down at her food.

"Me too," she muttered. "I felt so stupid, doing that. But I won't let him die because of me." Nicca voiced her own addition, but only Makaro was silent. 

"What's wrong, Makaro?" She lifted her head, tears of laughter in her eyes.

"I killed Trowa's self-destruct too," she said, taking a deep breath. "And he was standing right there! He doesn't know what I did, though." All of the girls started giggling.

Not far away, a figure sat, staring at a cup of tea. He lifted his head and looked at the table of girls, then stood and walked over to them.

"Are you the pilots?" he asked quietly. Makaro lifted her head to him. 

"Who wants to know?" she asked. He took something from his pocket and laid it on the table. Alex almost pounced on it.

"That's... that belongs to my sister. Where did you get it?" she asked. 

"She left it," he answered. "My name is Miliardo PeaceCraft. She tried to take her life, but misjudged the height of the cliff." Alex gave a small laugh.

"Only her..." Nicca knit her brow in thought.

"Miliardo... wait a minute! I know that name. It's on one of the graves near where... Hildi's buried." Pain overcame her briefly, but she swallowed it. "You're not supposed to be alive, none the less." 

"This is an interesting turn of events," muttered Caia. "One brainless best friend and one dead guy. I'm not surpr- ow!" Seneca elbowed her again and shook her head.

"Mr. PeaceCraft, what do you want?" asked Makaro. She stood up. "Will you have a seat?" He shook his head.

"I want to free her. Wherever she is, there's something wrong with her. And... I can't stand seeing her like that." Alex drummed her fingers on the table thoughtfully. 

"There's something wrong..." She snapped her fingers. "That's it! The day she disappeared, there was a battle with Shisama. I know that's nothing new, but Lee had been shouting at something. I dismissed it. I shouldn't have, but I didn't want to miss that damned battle." She dropped her head in her hands. "This is all my fault. That's it. I can't involve you in this anymore."

"Lex-chan." Caia's dagger appeared and she played with absent-mindedly. "Let me tell you one thing: we're all connected. Lee vanishes, tries to kill herself, is saved by someone who knew the guys in the last war, and now we've got twelve people for the raid. You can't get anymore connected then that. Stop moping and start thinking of a way to convince those thick headed boys of ours that giving in is, always has been, the last resort."

The End


	4. Chapter 4

Fitful Wishing, pt. 4: The Demon Suit

Sequel to 'Inside the Forbidden'

Prologue- Meeting of Fate

Everyone had gathered at Relina PeaceCraft's mansion. She was there, joined by Dorothy Catolina. To everyone's surprise(mainly everyone but the Gundam pilots) they had been the ones giving out the missions.

"They should be back from lunch soon," said Duo. He stopped to look out the window.

"Stop pacing," said Trowa. "They can take care of themselves." Duo sat down, not too far from the window. Something was wrong, he could sense it. But it wasn't nessacarily with Nicca. Just them in general. 

Suddenly, he saw her car pull up, followed by Makaro's motorcycle. She got off and shook her hair loose from her helmet. 

"You let her ride on that?" asked Quatre. Trowa shrugged.

"It's not an issue we've had an easy time with." Someone other Alex, Seneca, or Caia got out of Nicca's car with them. 

"Oh, god," said Duo. "It can't be." He stood up. "It is. Holy shit, it is."

"What?" asked Heero. By the time he was at the window, they had made it inside. "Who was it, Duo?" Duo just kept shaking his head.

"I don't believe it," he muttered. Makaro came in, laughing, followed by Alex, who was staring at something in her hand, Nicca, who was laughing, Caia, still playing with her dagger, and Seneca talking to a tall man with long blonde hair and sharp blue eyes.

"Oh my god." Relina's hand flew to her mouth. "My brother!"

"Zechs?" Seneca stopped talking and stepped aside. She grabbed Makaro's arm and yanked her into the hallway.

"Lee's lost her mind, from what Miliardo was telling me," she said urgently. "Yelling at demons, saying she needed to die. We could be dealing with a full fledged mental case here, regardless of who's got Lee's body."

"That doesn't change a thing," said Makaro. "Lee's gotta be in there. For Alex's sake, and Uncle Sage and Aunt Houta, we're gonna free her from whatever internal hell Shisama's putting her through, got it?"

"Loud and clear, Maka-so." They both went back into the room and found Relina tearfully hugging her brother and the Gundam pilots having a distinct conversation with the others girls.

"Will you calm down already?" Nicca hissed to Duo. "Think of it this way: Shisama's goin' down. It doesn't matter whose part of it, as long as it happens. I will _not_ let him win, but we need your cooperation." This time Trowa pulled Makaro out of the room.

"What's Alex's plan?" he asked. She sighed.

"To quote Nicca-so: "Half of us create a diversion, half of us do the leg work." We're turning our suits in first. That way, when you guys do it, we'll be there. She's still not sure which of us is diversation and which are the ones who are risking ourselves to save Lee."

"That's insane," he said. "It's Alex. But what does Zechs have to do with this?"

"Lee tried to kill herself. She would've succeeded, if he hadn't saved her. Now he wants to save her from Shisama with us. I wasn't about to tell him no."

"What does everybody else think?"

"Nicca's all for it because it makes no sense, Seneca's only gonna do it if she's sure Heero's not gonna get killed, Caia just wants a chance at running that bastard Shisama through, and Alex wants her sister back. Plain and simple." 

"What about you?"

"You know me," she said with a forced chuckle. "I just want to get him for everything he's done in the past. I owe this world that much. It's in my blood." She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. "So. Are you in?" 

"Mara-ko, you know someone's gonna get killed," he said. "And I don't want it to be you." She sighed.

"Trowa, you know, I could kill you for being so damn nice," she said. "But it'll probably kill you in the end. Look, I'm not worried about dying: it's not an option on this mission. Anyone dies, we're screwed. We _all_ have to stay alive to fight Shisama until he's gone." She leaned towards him. "Lucky for you, I skipped the garlic bread at lunch." He smiled gently and wrapped his arm around her waist. Just then, the door opened.

"Hey," said Nicca. "You wanna get in here? We've got some planning to do." She shut the door and Makaro made a noise in the back of her throat.

"We should probably go in there," said Trowa. She nodded and sighed.

"Yeah probably." He let her go and they walked into the room. Makaro hit her friend upside the head as she moved to sit on the windowsill. "What's up?"

"We're going with Alex's plan," said Relina. "But instead of you going first, the guys are. My brother will accompany you when you go. The first priority is Lee. Second is your battle with Shisama."

"Sounds good," said Makaro. "If it works. One more thing: no one dies. I find out you're dead, I'll kill you again, do we have an understanding? That's not even a last resort. And it goes for everyone too, even those of us staying behind."

Chapter 1- The Beginning

Duo ducked under a bullet and ran down the hallway. Damn! He needed a gun!

Something grabbed his arm and yanked into a side alley. The soldiers ran past and he looked at the person who had saved him, but it was too dark. Until she pulled the hood back on her sweatshirt and revealed dark black hair pulled into a ponytail.

"Only you, Duo," said Nicca. "Could be the distraction and not have a gun. Didn't that thought ever occur to you?"

"Yeah," he said. "When they started shooting at me." She rolled her eyes and shifted around. The alley wasn't exactly big, but she managed to pull a gun from the holster on her leg. "What's that?"

"Colt Python," she said. "Make sure you get rid of the safety." Then she pulled another from her other leg and it clicked as the safety was removed. 

"Geez," he said. "How much heat are you packing?"

"Three pythons and a machine gun I pulled off a soldier," she said. "And a detonator."

"To what?"

"It's connected to my suit. All else fails, I can take out my suit, and hopefully the other ones too. I won't let them fall into the wrong hands." There was the sound of more voices. The soldiers had doubled back. They would be seen this time. 

"You look great," said Duo. Nicca grinned.

"Later, hon. We've got some ass to kick." She gave his hand a firm squeeze and ducked out of the alley. There were several shots before Duo moved and by then, she had gotten them all. "I'm still goin' after Lee. Get to the mobile suits and get ready for a battle of some major proportions."

"Be careful," he said. "Something's up."

"Duo, we're in the middle of the enemy's main base. Yeah, something's up." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Stay safe, love. We've got a battle to win." She dropped the empty cartridge and pulled out another one, then disappeared into the shadows. There was a definite click that echoed in the nothingness around him before he went down a separate hallway. 

***************

"Get down, Heero!" yelled Seneca. She grabbed his arm and yanked him to the ground as the mine went off, killing the soldiers that had come in opposite him. "You've got great timing, you know? You could've been killed!"

"I didn't know you were in here," he said. "Just calm down. How did you get in here with mines? I barely got a gun past these guys."

"It wasn't easy. I had to hide them in my mobile suit and get them during the chaos. Nicca had an easier time with her load, but Makaro and Alex are the ones with the real heat. Are you alright?" She wiped blood from his cheek, but it wasn't his own. "I didn't think it would be like this, did you?" He didn't say anything. "Lee's not far from here. Alex and Makaro must've found her, because they went through _that_ door." She indicated the one with the numerous bodies surrounding it. 

"Are you going after them?" he asked. She nodded. 

"But I wanted to clear the way first. Get to the hanger." She stood up and cocked her gun. "The other guys are going there, right? We're gonna do some major damage to this place. See ya'."

"Seneca-chan, wait." She faced him, a confused, but dangerous look in her eyes. "Don't get killed." 

"Right. Like that's the first thing on my mind." She started to leave, but he grabbed her arm and kissed her warmly. She kissed him back immediately. "Flyboy," she said breathlessly when he broke off. "That took you long enough. Now be careful. You and I gotta talk when this is over." She ran off down the hallway, barely missing tripping over a dead body. _The things you do to me, flyboy_, she thought, shaking her head. _And the things I'm gonna do to you if you don't make it out of here alive._

***************

Makaro dropped the empty gun and pulled another one from the holster under her jacket. There were only a few soldiers left, but that was certainly a lot of guys for one room.

"Lex, get in there!" she yelled. A bullet whizzed by her head, barely missing her. "Go!"

"Got it covered!" Alex ducked into the room and shut the door behind her. "Whoa. Someone shoot the decorator."Black. Completely and totally. With pale light coming from tons of candles placed around the room. Sitting by the only true light, an almost dead fire, was Lee, her head bowed. "Lee-so!"

"You shouldn't have come," said Lee. "You should've done what Lord Shisama said to." There was a click of a gun and cold metal pressed against her temple.

"Leave my sister, or I'll kill you both," whispered Alex darkly. "And don't call my bluff. Search Lee's memories. She knows how serious I can get when it comes to shit like this."

"No matter what she tells me, I will not believe that you'll kill her. She's your precious sister. You made such a daring raid on my lord's base to save her."

"Flattery will get you a hole in your head." Alex's finger pressed the trigger slowly. "Five."

"You're too weak to do it."

"Four."

"You'll never go through with it."

"Three."

"She's too important."

"Two."

"You're too weak!"

"Shut up, damn you!" Alex's wrist snapped and she pulled the trigger, but the bullet hit Lee's leg and lanced through to the floor. "Lee! Wake up, damn you! Only you can defeat this thing!"

"Alex?" Lee whispered hesitantly. "Where am I?"

"Just fight it, sis. I'll be right here." Lee tried to say something, but pain ripped through her, based at the mark on her arm. She jumped up and slammed a force of power into Alex's chest. The dark haired girl flew backwards and went through the door.

"Lex-chan!" yelled Makaro. "What the hell?"

"It's too strong," groaned Alex, pushing herself off the ground. "We have no choice. We've gotta find Nicca and the detonator. Plan A's failed. Time for Plan B."

"I don't think we liked this plan, did we?" Alex shook her head as the Lee demon started coming. She grabbed her friend's hand and ignored the pain in her chest. "Let's go."

Lee watched her sister and Makaro run from the demon that had taken over her body. God, she wanted to get out! But she didn't have the energy. The only thing she had were her memories. And somehow, they kept going back to the same person: the blonde guy who had saved her. And she hadn't even caught his name.

_They run. They don't care about you._ Lee ignored the voice and concentrated her thoughts. She felt warmth flow to the part of her that was trapped.

_Wisdom I won't fail you. I _will_ win._

***************

"There's the hanger!"

"There's the guys!" Nicca and Seneca ducked. "Will you leave us alone already?!" yelled Nicca. She emptied another cartridge and dropped the gun. "I'm out of ammo. We had better hope Alex and Makaro got Lee."

"I think we'd be hoping to much." Alex and Makaro leapt over the edge of a catwalk and landed on the ground easily near everyone. 

"Do we have everybody?" asked Makaro breathlessly. "'Cause we've got one hell of a problem. Lee can't win. She's fully gone. There's one choice left. Nicca, do you still have the detonator?"

"Yeah," said Nicca. "It's right... damn it. Duo, give it back!" Duo grinned sheepishly and tossed the detonator to her. "You idiot," she added handing it to Makaro. "Where's Lee?"

"She was right behind us-" There was an explosion and Lee lowered her hand, then walked into the hanger.

"You are all weak," she said, her voice hollow and resounding. "I will destroy you. In the name of darkness."

"Something's wrong," said Miliardo.

"She's possessed?" said Duo. Miliardo shook his head. 

"The mark on her arm. It changed. It was the symbol of the Jackals last time." Alex shook her head. 

"No," she said. "It hasn't changed. It's the birthmark she's had since she was a baby. The symbol of wisdom."

"She has a birthmark shaped like wisdom?" asked Duo. "Hey Nicca, do you have a birthmark like that?" She rolled her eyes and leveled the last round of her ammunition at Lee.

"One shot, I swear that's all it'll take," she said. "Just say the word, Makaro."

"No," said Makaro. "We go down, we go down together. One life. One mission." She lifted the detenator up and rested her finger on the trigger. "I hope you can hear me, Shisama! You're play toys are about to become scrap metal! Hope you're taking up a collection." She pressed the trigger.

Chapter 2- Tricked Into Hell

Debris and flame exploded from the wall just behind them: nowhere near the suits. Makaro went down hard, pulling Nicca with her.

"What the hell happened?!" shouted Heero. Lee-demon laughed.

"You underestimate us," she said. "We knew what you were going to do. We knew about it the whole time. You're bombs were easy to remove."

"Damn it!" Dust clogged Makaro's lungs and she struggled to get up, but a large rocked pinned her legs. "Lee-so, listen to me! You have to fight!" She only laughed louder.

"The Lee you knew is dead!" she yelled. Light formed in her hand. "And you will all be too. Starting with you, _Maka-so_." Makaro collapsed, unable to get in a full breath to her lungs. 

"Alliana." The demon stopped and turned around. Lee jerked from her trance. That voice... "You're life is worth more then this. Just like theirs are. Alliana, only you can beat what's taken over your mind. It's all up to you." Something flashed across the girl's eyes. Sanity, her soul, some combination of the two. Then it was gone and she screamed in rage.

"Miliardo PeaceCraft!" she yelled. "You should've died! This would be so much easier if you had just died in the explosion of the Libra's system..." She trailed off uncertainly, then a beam of light solidified in her hand, resembling a sword. "But I will kill you know and you will stay dead. Forever."

"Lee, listen to him!" hollered Alex, trying to free her lower body from the rock pile. Quatre stood up and tried to help her, but there was intense pain in his leg. "He's the only that's making sense to you! Lee, I know you can win! Don't leave us!" She passed out too, unable to breathe.

"Ale... Alexian?" Lee fell to her knees, the light sword disappearing. "My sister... what have I done?!" She screamed again, this time in pain. "Just leave me, demon! I have no use for you!" Miliardo knelt down and touched her arm gently. The instant his fingers brushed the mark, black light erupted from her body, then vanished completely and she lay on the ground, unmoving. The mark was wisdom again.

"It's gone," said Seneca. "Lee's finally free." She pushed a rock off her ankle and stood up. "Did we lose anyone?"

"Some blood and sanity, but I'm okay," said Caia. "Alex and Makaro need to get some fresh air. They've been at the bad end of this battle from the start." Between her, Trowa, and Heero, they managed to get the chunk of wall off her. She groaned and pushed herself up.

"We have got to get the hell out of here," she coughed. "Before Shisama sends more men. Where's Lee?"

"She's okay," said Trowa. "You said you weren't going to get hurt."

"No," she said. "I said I wouldn't get killed. There's a difference." 

***************

The house was deadly quiet. Caia was sitting on Wufei's legs and both of them were asleep, her head on his shoulder. Makaro and Alex were in the middle of a chess game that should've ended long before, but neither of them noticed or cared. Miliardo, Lee, and Relina were on the balcony with the door closed. Trowa, Quatre, and Dorothy were talking quietly in the kitchen. Nicca was laying on the couch, her head in Duo's lap, both of them half asleep. Seneca was across the table from Heero, her head resting on her hands, talking to him in whispers. He would nod occasionally and answer her, but the silence around them could not be broken. 

"Checkmate," said Alex. Makaro nodded, but they kept playing. Both of them were lost in thought. Trowa walked inside and sat down by her. She snapped out of her trance and looked at him. Alex laid back on the floor and stared at the ceiling as the others came in. "Let's face it, guys. We screwed up big time. We barely managed to get out and now Shisama's gonna do something bad to the colonies _and_ Earth."

"The only one who screwed this up is me," said Lee. "You risked your lives to save me, but if I had just fought from the beginning, Shisama never would've gotten to me."

"Lee-so, it's not your fault," said Makaro. "We weren't prepared enough for his strength. But we are now. And we'll win." She dropped her head into her hands. "But the costs are going to be high. Too high. There's gotta be another way."

"There isn't," said Alex. "We have no choice." Makaro nodded. 

"Let's do it." They acted quickly and caught the guys off guard. "I wish we didn't have to do this," she said. She brushed Trowa's bangs out of his face. He was unconscious, like the rest of them. "I really do. But it's for their own good." There was a click of a gun and Nicca tossed it to her. Makaro stuck it in her back pocket and rose to her feet. "Shisama's going down."

Chapter 3- Trapped Forever

"What the hell is that?!" yelled Alex. She cut through three Aries and a Leo. "Tell me that's not what I think it is."

"Somehow, Shisama combined with the Tall Geese," said Seneca. She used the electricity lit end of her glaive to destroy a few Taurus dolls. "Let's go!"

"He's mine!" said Nicca. She dove at him, the beam sabre raised in her hand. She hit a shield that she hadn't seen and was thrown back. "Damn!"

"Nicca-so, chill," said Makaro. "We're gonna take this easy. We've got all the time in the world right now." 

"Yup." Alex closed her eyes. "I wonder what death is like."

"It's gotta be better then this," said Seneca. "But I feel bad about leaving the guys behind. Maybe we should have said good bye."

"I'll say good bye in my own way," said Makaro. "I won't let them die." 

"Whatever floats your boat," said Nicca. "But no matter what happens, Shisama _has_ to be destroyed." The half demon half metal creature was moving towards them. "Let's surround and kill."

"Works for me," said Caia. She and Seneca fired their rockets and landed on the ground on his other side. "Re-"

"What is that?!" Nicca swore and sighed at the same time. "Ni-ko, you've got some explaining to do."

"No, I don't," she said. "You do. Didn't you get a clue that we didn't want you in this battle?"

"It's our battle as much as yours," said Heero. "You shouldn't have come out here on your own."

"I have a killer headache," said Wufei. "Where did you learn to hit that hard, Caia-so?"

"Does that matter?" she snapped. "We're going to beat him. Just stay out of our way."

"Darkness!" yelled Shisama. The ground shook and tore apart, leaving the girls with Shisama and the guys with the other dolls and suits. "You can't defeat me. You're parents tried and failed."

"Things are different," said Makaro. Her hand moved carefully to a red button surrounded by black and yellow lines. "Our parents taught us too much to let it go to waste. Your dead, Shisama!" She slammed her palm down onto the button. Time seemed to slow down. One by one, her friends followed suit, but the result was the same: self detonation. 

"No!" yelled Trowa. "Makaro!" 

"You can't do this!" said Duo. "Nicca!" 

"Don't die!" shouted Quatre. "Alex!"

"Caia, stay strong."

"Seneca, live through this."

"Alliana, trust your friends." The light pulled back and from the flames, Shisama(unharmed) still stood. Only now, he was laughing. 

"They were too weak. Their parents taught them nothing," he said. Suddenly, the flames twisted. They were scattered around light that was exactly where the girls had been.

"What the hell?" asked Duo. "Oh my god..."

"It can't be," said Trowa.

"Shisama!" said Makaro. "You will not win!"

"No!" cried Shisama. "It's those damned armors!"

"They look like their suits..." Wufei trailed off. "How is it possible?"

"Hundreds of years ago, you fought our parents," said Caia. Her dagger gleamed. "You were defeated, but not killed."

"You're reign of terror will end," said Alex. "Today." She unsheathed a dagger identical to Caia's, only with one symbol.

"I cannot be killed!" said Shisama with an insane laugh. "But you are mortal. You will be destroyed." He tried to slice Makaro with his beam sabre, but it was deflected. "No! What are you?!"

"We are everything you forced into us," she said. "You created our hatred, but you also gave us the one thing you thought you could use against us. The Gundam pilots have been our hope these last months. Nothing will take away what they have given us. What you gave us, indirectly. Now. Here is _your_ just desserts. Phoenix... SCORCH!"

"Earth... SOAR!"

"Air... DIVINE!"

"Light... STRIKING!"

"Ice... SILENCE!"

"Infero... RAGE!" The six powers converged on him. Heero shielded his eyes from the light that exploded outward, but when it cleared, there was no Shisama. Only a dark light that twisted around the girls. 

"Ancients!" cried Makaro as the black waves reached her. "Hear my blight. Release our light!" More energy shot from the ground and formed around them. Then it spread around the corruption and it all was gone, except them. The fissure closed and they fell to the ground, Makaro holding on the longest. The gate to Hell had to be closed! _If it takes my last breath,_ she heard her mother's words in her mind as the ground loomed closer. _I'll defeat that bastard. The world deserves so much more._

_The world deserves so much more,_ Makaro agreed silently. _I promise that._ She hit the ground hard, but had no energy to move. The full effect of the self detonation was kicking in. The FireWing armor had kept the pain away, but it was gone. For good. It had to keep the seal on Shisama's prison, just like the other five. Hopefully the Ronins power was still somewhere and could help. 

"Makaro, are you okay?" Her eyes flew open and she looked up at Trowa with death in her eyes. "Mara-ko..."

"Seneca!" Heero lifted her shoulders off the ground and she smiled at him gently. "What are you...?"

"Please, Alex," said Quatre, feeling tears. "Don't die. You can't..."

"Alliana," said Miliardo. Lee's body felt gone. It just didn't exist. "Don't leave..."

"Caia." Wufei knelt on the ground by her and she shifted her hand carefully. The dagger was blood stained. Her blood. "Caia, don't go..."

"What are you?" asked Duo softly. Nicca rested her head on his shoulder, but she wasn't able to speak. "Are you... an angel?" There was a soft chuckle and he felt her die in his arms. There was no way anyone could've survived what she had been through. 

"I... I'm sorry," Makaro whispered to Trowa. "I lied. I promised you I wouldn't get killed..." Her breathing was shallow and harsh. He wrapped his hand around hers.

"You won't die," he said quietly. "You can't, Mara-ko."

"I won't die... I'll always be with you..." Her hand reached for the dagger that was laying on the ground and she touched it, but her strength left her completely and her last breath was wasted.

"I... want you to know..." Caia trailed off and took Wufei's hand. She wrapped his fingers around the hilt of her dagger. "Remember me..."

"Heero," said Seneca. She forced her voice to stay steady. "I was never... as strong as you. Don't let yourself die. For my sake..."

"I never... thanked you," said Lee. "For saving me. Twice... if you hadn't been there... Shisama would've won... thank you..."

"Just live, Alliana," said Miliardo. "Just live." She gave a small laugh.

"The one thing I can't do to repay your kindness..."

"Master Quatre... tell the Maganacs and Master Rasid that I owe them my life... I can never return what they've done for me..." Alex bit down a cry of pain.

"You've done more then anyone could've expected," said Quatre. She brushed his bangs from his face carefully and smiled weakly. "Don't die, Alex. We all love you too much to let you go. _I_ love you."

"Quatre... everything will make sense... someday..." She took in one final breath of air and her body went limp. Her pain was over, just like her friends. Caia's eyes closed and her fingers loosened on the dagger. Seneca simply let go of her life and collapsed against Heero's chest. Lee closed her eyes too and lay on the ground, unmoving, her blood soaking into the dirt. Then, they vanished. Their bodies simply disappeared. The only thing left were the six daggers, blood stained and dulled...

Chapter 4- Alarms and Bells

BBBRRRIIINNNGGG! Makaro jerked up, entangled herself in her comforter and fell off her bed. She cursed herself and slammed her fist onto her alarm clock. The ringing stopped and she angrily threw her blanket back on her bed. A dream. A damn dream. But it had seemed so real... the pain, the feelings when she was around... damn!"Makaroan." She lifted her head and saw her mom standing in the doorway. "Is something wrong, honey?"

"Nothing," she said. Then she ran to her and hugged her tightly. "Oh, Mom!"

"Maka-so, what's happened to you?" asked her mother worriedly. "I thought you'd be happy to be back after so long."

"Back? Did I..." Makaro pulled back, confused. "Did I leave?"

"The FireWing armor knew your wish to come home and brought you back to us, my dearest daughter," answered her mother. "What happened to Shisama?" Makaro sat down on her bed, hard, and felt pain echo through her. Tears came and she buried her face in her pillow.

"He's gone," she sobbed. "But we lost... I don't know... if..." Her mother sat next to her and wrapped her arms around her daughter. 

"It'll be alright," she said softly. "Destiny will do what it wants. If you're supposed to be together, then you will be. Your father and I learned that lesson the hard way."

"Oh, god, mom. I don't even know if he's alive. I didn't even tell him... he doesn't know..."

"He knows, honey. If it's truly what you think it is, he knows." She stood up and walked from the room. Makaro followed her and met the rest of her friends in the backyard. Nicca was angry to hell.

"I just left him!" she said. "I didn't even say good bye! After Hildi, god knows what he's gonna do! No, wait, I do. He's gonna do something stupid and get himself killed and I'm not there to stop him!"

"He was so kind to me," Lee muttered. "Such a wonderful person... there was just something in his eyes..."

"Hello? Lee-so, Earth to Lee-so," said Seneca. "It's gone. It's all gone. They won't exist for hundreds of years, maybe more. Oh. My. God. What am I saying? Have I gone insane? There's gotta be a way back there."

"Oh yeah. I'll just hop in my time machine," said Alex sarcastically. "Unless you have a better idea."

"Does anyone wanna mention that you all sound like three year olds?!" yelled Caia. Her anger had hit it's boiling point. "And that you're not thinking?!"

"Huh?"

"What?"

"Hmm?"

"Us?"

"Not thinking?"

***************

Charei stood with Rowen, watching Makaro on the back porch, looking at the stars.

"She really does love that boy," he said. "We can't keep her back."

"I don't want to lose her. She's the only daughter I have," said Charei. "And she'd be so far away..."

"Charei, it's not our choice. It's hers. She won't leave us. She'll always be in our hearts." She hesitated, then nodded. "Let's go talk to her." They both walked outside. Makaro turned around before they could speak.

"Mom, dad," she said. "I've made a decision. I've got to go back." Charei smiled gently.

"And we've made a decision too, Maka-so," she said. Makaro's daughterly side took over.

"I'll come back, I promise," she said. "But I have to make sure that Trowa's alright. And that Shisama hasn't done anything truly bad to their world. I have to, mom, I have to." 

"Shhh," said Charei. "Let me talk. We want you to do what you feel is right. If that means you go back to that boy, this Trowa, then that's what you have to do. We won't stop you. But remember. If I have grandkids, I want to see them, damn it." Makaro stood, her mouth open, before she realized what they were saying. 

"So... you want me to leave?" she asked. Rowen chuckled.

"No, Makaro, that's not what we want. But we want you to be happy. If that means you leave, then that's what it means. But we'll always love you." She closed her mouth and hugged them both.

"Thank you," she said. "And I _will_ come back." She gave her mother a small smile. "Although, it might not be with kids. Don't hold your breath, mom." She turned and started down the stairs into the darkness. "Mom, dad?"

"Yes, honey?"

"I love you," she said. "And I always will." She turned and ran into the darkness. Alex and Lee met up with her. "Are you coming to?"

"Let's just hope we can do it."

"Hey, don't forget us." Seneca, Nicca, and Caia met them on top of the hill. "You wouldn't leave us behind, would you?" added Seneca with a small smile.

"Can we just go?" asked Lee. "I have someone I need to talk to you."

"It's not like you haven't been going on non stop about him," said Alex. "It's always 'Miliardo this' and 'Miliardo tha- Ow! Damn you, Lee-so!"

"You're one to talk, Lex-chan. Who's name do I keep hearing? Quatre's?" Lee grinned slyly. 

"I just hope I'm not too late," said Nicca. "Come on! Let's go!" They each took someone's hand and closed their eyes.

"We call upon the full powers of the universe," said Makaro. Her voice was hollow, but her body was electric. "Take us back to... where we belong."

Epilogue- The Rose

The wind drifted through the trees. Duo knelt down on the ground on Nicca's grave, near Hildi's. They had nothing to bury, but they wouldn't let the memory of the girls die. Not like that. 

"I lost you both," he whispered. "I failed you. I'm sorry." The wind picked up and it carried a strange sound with it. It sounded like laughter.

"Duo Maxwell," said a voice. Leaves twisted up and when they cleared, Nicca was standing over him, the light shining in her hair. "At least you didn't do anything stupid. Well, I don't think you did." She tossed her hair over her shoulder and knelt down in front of him. "Did you?"

"Ni-ko?" he asked. "You're alive... are you really...?"

"An angel?" She shook her head. "Sure. Why not?" 

Heero brushed the dirt from his knees and turned to go. _May you rest in peace,_ he thought. There was a cough behind him.

"Leaving, Heero?" asked Seneca quietly. "But I just got here."

"Alex, I'm sorry I failed you," whispered Quatre. He laid a yellow rose on the ground and closed his eyes. Something brushed his bangs back and chuckled when they fell again. He looked up and found himself staring directly into Alex's deep brown eyes. "Miss Alex?" She sat back on her heels and sighed.

"Quatre, don't call me that," she said. "It's Alex. Simply Alex. Otherwise, you might as well be one of the Maganacs." He smiled.

"Okay, Alex."

Wufei sat crossed legged on the ground and just looked at Caia's dagger in front of him. It had been cleaned and glittered in the sunlight that filtered through the trees, but it was still dull. 

_Where are you?_ he wondered. _Caia, I miss you._ Suddenly, the light was blocked. Familiar black boots stood just behind the dagger, flattening the soft grass. 

"It almost looked better covered in blood," she said, picking up the knife and sliding it back in her sheath. "Well, are you gonna sit there all day? Come on, Wufei-chan. There's a whole life that's passing us by."

Miliardo laid the white flowers on the grass and stood up. The irony still churned in the back of his mind. His grave had become Lee's and she wasn't coming back. But Shisama's wrongs would be put right, before they did anymore damage.

"They're beautiful." He turned around and face Lee. Her blonde hair was shorter and loose, but her eyes still had the same light in them. "The flowers. Thank you, but they're not something I deserve. I did nothing of that much importance."

"You saved the world, Alliana," he said quietly. "As well as me. In many ways you will not know." She smiled gently.

"Not half as much as you saved me," she said. "I'd still be Shisama's pawn without you. I thank you, Miliardo PeaceCraft." She bowed partly. "From the bottom of my heart."

Trowa just stayed on his knees in the clearing far from everyone else and looked at the letters carved into the gravestone. None of it made any sense. Nothing could capture Makaro's memory. Not even her death. 

"I love you..." he whispered. "And you never knew it..." A warm breeze ruffled his bangs as he laid the red rose a top the stone. "I won't forget you. I promise." Someone chuckled, but the wind carried it away. Then it came again. Familiar, and at the same time, wonderful. It was Makaro's laugh. He would never forget that either. Or her smile and the way her eyes danced everytime he came from the center ring. Suddenly, white sandals appeared in front of the lettering. Then the rest of her appeared. She lifted the rose carefully and closed her eyes as she smelled it.

"It's a nice thought, Trowa," she said. "But you know I like white roses better."

"Mara-ko?" he asked. "But... how? Where have you been?" She shrugged and slipped the rose into her ponytail. 

"I went home," she said. "And I got to see my parents. They say hi."

"Your parents... but you came back. Why?" She jumped down and laced her fingers behind his head. She pulled him close to her.

"Why do you even ask?"

"You're beautiful," he said suddenly, his voice lost in the back of his throat. How often had he wanted to tell her that and never found a way?. She smiled.

"Coming from anyone else, I'd have to kill them," she said. "But for you... I can make an exception." He put his arm around her waist and-

"Hey! Maka-so! Where are you?!" said Nicca, coming through the trees. Makaro pulled back and threw her arms up in the air.

"Jesus Christ! Can we not get a moment of peace?!" she said. 

"What'd I do?" asked Nicca. Makaro stopped, took a deep breath, and turned back to Trowa. She wrapped her arms around his neck and completely forgot that everyone was there simply by looking into his eyes.

"Screw it," she said. "Just forget it. I don't care anymore." Then she kissed him warmly. Nicca made a noise that sounded hurt.

"What is it?" asked Duo. She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I still don't know what I did!" 

The End 


End file.
